At the End of an Age
by Ysdraetor
Summary: Before Pokemon were friends and companions, they were beasts and monsters- the torment of mankind- and people of all nations rose to stand against them. Now, the barrier between the species finally wavers, and Red, Green, and Leaf must face all manners of threat in their mission to defend the Viridian area, but the blood and horrors of war will change them like they never imagined.
1. Intro - A Char-ming Display!

_Intro- "A Char-ming Display!"_

* * *

A rainy afternoon, several miles outside Pallet Town, towards the eastern bank of the coast; corpses of salamander-esque creatures litter the ground, the weather ensuring the surprised lizards could not flee from the steel falling with the rain. The charmanders let loose tiny squeals and rasps as the guild pushed the life out each one they found.

"Was it always meant to be like this? All this death. I wonder... if God ever even thought about it. About what would we do to each other."

"…God?"

"W-Yeah, well, you know- whatever made us, and everything."

"Maybe it was a Pokemon."

"A _Pokemon_?"

"Could'a been."

"...why is it that, _you're_ always so glum, but whenever _I_ wanna be serious, you get this unusual urge to crack wise?"

"Maybe because _I'm_ a Pokemon?"

"Wha-? Well, I guess I found a new species; think I'll call you, "Jack-ass", jack-ass."

"Would you two kids stop chatting? We need to find this thing, quick."

Green approached Red and Leaf, presumably with a grumpy expression behind his fire-retardant mask. Red gave a casual sigh, while Leaf mimicked Green's pout, stating that he must be part of Red's "species". A few snickers from the group hailed only fiercer fire from the flame-proofed youth.

"Alright! Squads- regroup, and fall out! I better make it home in time for my stories, and for every minute I miss, someone's losing their pay! _Hustle_!" No one bothered to mention how unlikely that was, in any case, given that it took eight hours just to get to the area.

The 3 squads assembled into their respective orders, each team of six bearing a different spot to search. The area was riddled with potential caverns, nests, holes, and otherwise suspicious ground to cover, and at least 10 miles worth of it, at that. With the boon of the rain, and every guild-member wearing fire-resistant gear tanned from the skin of previously fallen char-kin, the advantage was more than stacked in their favor, but it wouldn't last all night. There really wasn't any time to waste, not when the charizard could be anywhere.

The mission started as a tip-off from local fishermen and residents of Pallet Town. A recent influx of charmanders had been noticed in the area, some even making it all the way to peoples' homes in town. The guild was prepared for this. Even prior to its inception, many were aware of the migration charizards often make in the springtime to lay eggs on the coast, and where charmanders and charmeleons gather for a few months. Years ago, they'd been a handful- then, they became a nuisance, as fewer and fewer people could stand against them. And just within the past two years, they'd become a danger. As charmanders grew into charmeleons, and a few charmeleons became charizards, they became all the more dangerous. But now, there was a force to stop them.

Green, both Guild Master and leader of Squad 1, hurriedly took his team to comb a few crags on the south-western reaches of the search area. Leaf, the Squad 3 leader, flashed Red a pleading smile and stalked off to the northern-most area, looking under large rocks and inside giant holes, which left the entire mid-section they'd arrived in for Squad 2- Red's guys- the realization of which bought a sigh from the entire group, with a few mumblings here and there. Not like there wasn't plenty to search, it's just that there was plenty to search. Crags and rocks everywhere, many of which held small nests, either in or under them, and the searching was all for Red. He put on his usual enthusiasm and made for them, team shambling behind.

40 minutes later, and no one had found anything significant. Leaf's team stumbled on a few charmeleons, and Green found a plentiful helping of charmander, but really, everyone was looking for the charizard; there was always at least one with gatherings like this. Red considered the possibility that it was away and currently trapped by the rain, meaning they would have to wait a while until after it stopped.

"Like hell," Red muttered. He lifted up another rock with a small tunnel-like path leading from it. The way they'd been doing it was, two people lift, one person stabs. This time around, the new guy to the guild was the one stabbing. Granted, the guild had existed for less than a year already, so none of them were exactly _veterans_, but this guy was fresh out of the skillet, and it showed.

Obnoxious and cocky, Harley was the archetypical newbie. All bark, and no bite, he didn't take anything seriously except himself. That doesn't mean he seemed to care too much for his well-being, though. While Green wasn't in love with the recently-turned 18-year-old, he did at least want to give him a chance to prove himself. Red disagreed, but the kid was persistent, and just good enough with a weapon to pass the entrance trial and make it this far. Didn't mean he wasn't a damn idiot, though. Red wondered as Harley missed the stab on the surprised charmeleon how he was ever going to survive this business. The squawking charmeleon pounced from the dirt to the doofus, who proceeded to struggle in all the wrong ways, just barely pushing a scorching-hot maw away from his own face. His squad mates looked on for a moment, giggling and teasing, before Red simply drew his sword. The laughter froze with the frigid-cold look that Red wore so well, as his three-foot blade expertly pierced the charmeleon and stopped right on Harley's chest. The steel went just deep enough to make an impression; the squad stepped back, shocked, for a moment, until the rookie made it very clear with all his thrashing that he wasn't dead.

"Wha-_what the hell_?!" Harley clambered to his feet, shaken and angry. "You almost _killed_ me, man! Are you crazy?!" The kid even took off his mask just to show how upset he was. Rookie move; if only he knew how uncomfortable it would be putting it back now that his face was no longer dry. Despite the silliness of the situation and the look on Harley's face, Red didn't shrug it off. He stepped in close, his mask still on, sword still drawn and dripping bright orange blood.

"You think I didn't know exactly how far to thrust? How much force to use? Which part to pierce? I've spent my entire life doing this. _Training_ for this. And even if you had done the same- which you haven't- it wouldn't matter if you never take this seriously!" Red stared harshly from behind his mask, while Harley's brown eyes looked away, still hurt.

"Oh, come on, man… I-I am taking this seriously! I mean, here I am, in the rain with you guys, hunting monsters…" The kid sounded defensive, but humbled- a step down from the outrage of second ago. He knew not to challenge Red, especially when he was clearly right. "Look, Red, I just- "

Red didn't reply, but instead hushed both Harley and the squad, who was silent already. Through the rain, he heard a cry- a different one from Harley's. It had been a while, but he'd heard it before. Honestly, he did halfway hope that he wouldn't have to kill every living fire-spawn before the charizard would appear, and it looked like the soaked charmeleon some 10 yards away hoped the same. When the others saw it, they immediately drew their weapons, but Red kept them still.

_Let the poor thing go ahead and call mommy; saves me the trouble of having to flip over another stupid rock_, Red thought. And call, it did. The cry was an odd sort of chirping howl which honestly sounded like, "Char"; it was a call for help, and exceptionally loud despite the rain. He'd read about it, and heard it twice, and in each scenario, the troupe's charizard appeared within a few minutes. While he was glad the charizard would finally show, still he knew that the call would bring every other lizard in the area to him, as well. It would be nice to have the dragon all to his squad, but every fire-lizard in the immediate vicinity was currently flocking to his position. He clenched his teeth, ready, and flagged his team.

"On me!" Swords still out and washed in the rain, the squad darted to the charmeleon and set their weapons to strike; the creature must've tried its absolute best to get away, since Red missed the first couple attacks, but it did slip, and he capitalized, brutally slamming his blade into crimson flesh, pulling away, and cleaving again. The bright orange blood poured onto the rocks where the lizard lay, like magma spilling into puddles on the ground. Normally, charmeleons are extremely arrogant and daring, but in the rain, they were timid and skittish, and all the more terrified upon watching their kin be slaughtered. Something he wanted to evoke in the now amassing reptiles.

A few charmanders on their own wasn't a threat, and the same could have been said for a charmeleon or two, if you weren't a complete novice. But the swarm that now flocked them was at least 20 charmanders and 6 charmeleons, by Red's count. Seemed like the cries definitely got some attention, and Red suddenly found himself wishing that he had found a few more nests before the arrival of the charizard, which could already be heard roaring in the distance. On a sunny day, they'd pretty much be either forced to flee, or dead, at this point, fire-spawn assembling in a semicircle in front of them, the conjunction of their heat igniting their tails despite the still-falling rain, and a rather large dragon homing in for an air-assault. However, his advantage was the only reason Red let the creatures gather in the first place. Now that they were here in thick numbers, they were instinctively less likely to flee, making for easy kills. Not to mention, the horn one of his group carried would summon the rest of the guild, who could seal the deal in the extermination by flanking the creatures as they focused on Squad 2, but that could be at least 10 minutes from now. This was the definitive moment- they had to hold their ground. Red just hoped his squad wouldn't piss it all away. He entered his signature, deceptively relaxed stance and spoke with solemn authority.

"Focus- we've trained for this!" Red declared to the shaky group behind him on the rocks. "Assume Wedge Formation! And Tristan- blow that horn, already." _Things are about to get exciting… _"_Advance_!"

* * *

_**Author's Note**_ - Thank you to anyone who reads this. It's been an idea in my head for a while, about what Pokemon-human relationships must've been before there were trainers and rangers and champions, and what-have-you. I also found the idea of humans having to go face-to-face with Pokemon quite appealing; anytime you see this, in the anime, at least, the human never strikes the Pokemon- he's always got his own Pokemon to fight for/ suffer with him. Additionally, they never die. You hear about it sometimes, in bits and nuggets, but in all the battles I've seen and played, not one Pokemon of trainer has ever **not**_ somehow_ survived. So, this is going to be a different kind of story. Think Monster Hunter mixed with Pokemon, since that's what inspired this whole thing. However, this is not just a cause for me to write about a bunch of Pokemon being murdered (though that will happen); this is an intensive look at how enemies became friends, between two races so different, and the wars that initially raged between them, from the classic viewpoint of a young protagonist and his friends. In the future, I'll will be uploading more information regarding each person and Pokemon in my world, the role they play/ the danger they pose, and eventually, there will even be pictures, uploaded to Deviant Art (and not of the oh-so-facepalm MS Paint-quality, either!). Maybe even a comic-strip on Inkblazers, probably, maybe. Who knows? Anyone? ...seriously, does anybody know?!


	2. Chapter 1 - The Sins of the Fires

_Chapter 1 - "The Sins of the Fires"_

* * *

Blood was everywhere; it looked like a volcano had just erupted, with all the orange blood streaming around the rock Squad 2 stood on. It literally shone in the darkness of the rain, and Red considered absentmindedly, between thrusts and parries, the possibility that the blood of char-kin was actual lava. The thick liquid was certainly hot- it steamed as the rain made contact, hiding the seemingly countless fire lizards from view until they were leaping upon him. Their training had held Red's squad together, through the full two minutes of high intensity maneuvering. Warding away 30 large, powerful, fire-breathing reptiles was challenging, but a near-deafening roar and a flame falling from the sky announced the real test of the day.

The charizard descended from on high with all the grace of an avalanche, massive and reckless. The flame emanating from it's tail flared considerably brighter than any other char-kin's, and it was significantly larger than anything Red had faced before. In addition, it could fly, it's imposing wingspan some 16 feet. The beast itself was quite terrifying, averaging about 35 feet, from maw to tail. A scaly hide outlined the Pokemon, horns and protrusions every 3 inches, like a mountain side- nothing smooth, nothing soft. That meant no easy piercing. Especially at the head, Red recalled having heard. Apparently, a thick dermal plate protected the large skull, though it wasn't obvious, from where he was standing.

A war-hammer or spear would have been best for this fight, but Red had neither- just a sword, 5 teammates (2 of which were injured), and training. It seemed like less and less with every menacing, slow and measured step the great flame-spawn took. But Red was ready- he had to be, or else this thing would be his end. Every footstep forced thuds from the earth, and it drew down slowly, but with no intention of stopping. Heat searing from the charizard's blackened mouth bent the rain, above, and sparks growled through razor teeth; everything- char-kin, Squad 2, and the drifting rain- tensed to a shaking breath.

"_Move!_"

He barked the order like the sound of a wardrum, leaping to his left, dashing his sword into charmanders who refused to step back. With a cry, the charizard ignited the rain and rock, incredible flames exploding where Red stood seconds prior. The heat burst forward and set Red off-balance, ash and cinder sprinting across the wind like a flaming sneeze.

_Damn it all, if that wasn't close! This gear won't stop_ _that_. Red composed himself as the dragon recovered from its attack; even the charmanders and charmeleons didn't seem to expect such power, and were retreating behind rocks and each other. A few even out-right fled, which was wise. Despite what it must've seemed to the confused and persecuted char-kin, the guild didn't come that day to kill every living Pokemon they could find. They were just thinning the numbers, was all. Mostly, it was about right now- this: the tracking, locating, and extermination of the charizard- a living demon among Pokemon.

The day before the mission request was put in, Red learned, the charizard had flown over Pallet Town- which was uncommon. It let loose flames in the sky and the brush, setting multiple outcrops alight. A man, Tobias Saffield, was out in the woods that day, harvesting berries to make a sweet dish for his 5 year old daughter. Normally, the area was safe, even during the mating season. But the charizard decided that this would be the year someone died. And that was its death-sentence.

With less than 1000 people, Pallet Town wasn't big and it wasn't wealthy. Everyone helped each other- looked out for each other, from the innocent child playing in the streets to the world-renowned Dr. Woods. Red, Green, and Leaf had known Tobias since they were kids. They'd eaten together, laughed together, harvested together. As children, they went to his wedding; celebrated the birth of his daughter, as teens; hugged him good-bye when they left as adults, and returned to him in black silence as warriors. The entire town shared in every precious moment of his, and anyone else's, life; all of Pallet Town felt the shock wave when the charizard dropped Tobias' gnawed and grisly corpse 200 feet to the dusty ground. In short: this was personal. Green, as Guild Master, thought it best not to show it or let anyone know, but all three of them felt it. Anger, like the blood of char-kin, boiling hot and glowing orange, melting away everything but the call for revenge.

"Portia, Tristan- flank the charizard with arrow-fire; aim for the neck, not the head!" They moved into position beyond the smoke and steam that now encompassed them. The fire-lizards had all but disappeared from sight, and Red realized in a stunning split second that even the other char-kin must have feared the dragon. _Good_. Defeating and shaming the damned thing now meant fear in the Pokemon, which meant less incidents and greater peace in the future. Technically, that was their purpose, as a guild. But Red's purpose as a warrior? To do exactly what he was doing. "Mecca, Harley, Shane- you're with me. Move!"

"We're going to strike the neck, just like the archers! Aim wherever you can and use everything you've got!" Red took off in a run towards the charizard, who was just catching its breath and looking around angrily for the archers Red had sent to pick at it. The smoke-screen had just about dissipated, but a late reaction was all Red needed. Steel held tight, he stuck a flying plunge into the neck, precisely at the spot where he'd seen a fine grouping of arrows, and just like all the texts said, the not-so-scaly leather here split right open at sword-strike. The others followed, Shane plowing with his curved sword and Mecca hammering with her greatsword.

_Good to know that works; now let's fall-back and prepare for counter-attack. The beast is mad, reckless- it'll slip, and then we'll_... an unexpected happening flying pointlessly into Red's line of sight started him out of his thoughts.

As Red hopped back, the sight of a fool named, "Harley", appearing, and then falling, stopped Red in his tracks. Harley had seemed to completely disregard the order to attack the neck of the beast, and went straight for the head. With all the flair he could muster, he sounded a war-cry and launched a full-bend jump, wherein he gripped his sword with both hands over his head, poised to pierce rather than slash. And then he connected with a thunk upon the shaken charizard- crashed into the cranium like a human thunderbolt. It was quite impressive, really... or at least it should have been.

Harley bounced right off of the dragon's skull and landed on his buttocks, shocked and weakened. The charizard wasted no time and directed it's full hatred at the novice. He scrambled backwards, tried to crawl to his feet, and ended-up falling right back down in the loose ground of the coast. He panicked- rookie move- and simply began flailing about in the dirt. A scaly claw, one third of a foot long, fell, jagged, into Harley's back, and closed. It seemed like it was his scream which stopped the rain, thus pulling an outraged Red back to the scene, fully-intent on hacking the dragon's neck until its damned head fell off. Charizard expected this, and let free a mighty tail swipe, which Red narrowly dodged. He backed away unharmed, but it cost him mobility. Two wings raised to the sky, and slammed the air beneath them away, as the charizard pushed itself back into the air. Portia and Tristan, Red's archers were ducking for cover now, while the stalwart Mecca cursed and ran to try and aid Harley, still bloody and hollering on the ground, pitifully trying to claw his way back towards Red.

Red's eyes connected with Harley's through his mask, while he attempted to call Mecca back; the kid was sobbing and coughing so violently, it was a wonder his eyes were even still open. While the rain had stopped, it was still all too obvious the pain Harley's flushed, dripping face announced. His mouth was stretched so hard, he would have hurt himself if he wasn't already in pain, glops of blood flying from between his lips; brown eyes turned to mud with his tears, and his nice blonde hair had flecks of dirt everywhere. Red saw all this in the short few seconds before the dragon in the air thrust all its weight downwards, and came crashing 50 feet to the ground. Red was still looking at Harley when the charizard fell. Suddenly there was nothing, as if he had just blinked, and replaced his teammate with a pokemon. He could see Harley's arms still outstretched but that was all. They flopped up at the huge weight of the dragon's fall, and plopped back down again a half-second later. The screams had stopped. There was nothing.

A breath later, Red didn't think, he just moved. Everything he did in the next few minutes was silent. He didn't hear anything but the sound of his own breathing. Others called out, but he didn't hear them. The charizard's flaming tail had slapped dangerously into Mecca, who was far too close to its slam technique, but Red didn't think about her. His every sense honed, and he moved independently of the squad. It was 20 paces to the charizard, but he moved at full-tilt, sword still held at the ready. A fireball loosed- swift, but predictable. Red threw himself aside of it and kept moving, close enough now to feel the heat distorting the air through his worn outfit. Time for tactical movement- the burning reptile was quick, and wheeled itself around with a small hop, trying to strike Red with its claw as he closed in, mere feet away. It was the same claw that caught and broke Harley seconds ago, tossing a bit of blood on Red's armor. It over-reached, and Red slide-dodged to increase his distance just enough so that he could jump. And when the dragon reached back to strike once more, Red was already in the air; his steel blade was a hook, and he slammed into the dragon's neck, with all the intensity of a wolf clamping onto the limb of its prey. But his intent was not to clamp. Striking a previous arrow wound, Red intended on compounding the damage from earlier, his longsword pushing feet-deep into the beast; one side of the neck was already heavily wounded, and now the other was gushing molten blood as well.

The howling cry was more than Red expected, and it pierced the air like his sword into the beast's flesh. Hurt and furious, the dragon futilely tried to grab at the metal splinter wedged in its neck, while Red moved to grab another weapon. He'd found one- Harley's- in the fresh blood-and-bone pulp dressed in orange-tinged leather, filthy blonde hairs still clumped where a head used to be. The sight of his dead comrade only steeled his fury, and he turned vigorously back to the harried charizard, his eyes deep red like the blood on the ground. From 30 paces away, a monster met the eyes of a killer. It decided, in its wrath, to end the game.

Taking flight, wounded and battered, the charizard hung dangerously in the air; it grunted and growled with every wing beat, too proud and arrogant to yeild the day. Bright flames sparked in its mouth, dancing softly like children with their parents. But a spark also popped around its neck- the real clinch behind a charizard's weak spot. Its long, powerful neck was not useful in attacking, like every other part of it was, and it was no where near as armored as its head since it needed to be flexible- the reasons why attacking anything but the neck was a bad idea. Getting in close may have been difficult, but what really made it worth it was what Red hoped before, and saw now- that doing sufficient damage to the neck prevented the charizard from calling its flamethrower. Sparking worthlessly in the sky, the charizard tried to charge its flame, but only ended up coughing smoke and groaning as tongues flickered from the wounds on its neck, burning the exposed flesh, where orange blood further called attention to its injuries. It tarried there haphazardly for a few seconds, seemingly cursing Red with every hacking cough. Eventually, the beast just flew around in relatively small circles a few times, still hacking. Red did not run- he didn't take his eyes off the dragon soaring overhead, and even as it flew, the charizard did the same. The rest of Squad 2 regrouped on Red though, and when they caught his attention, that damned charizard cleverly prepared to strike.

"Red, we gotta fall back somewhere, man! Mecca's hurt bad, and the rest of us can't take much more," Tristan, one of Red's archers, professed, looking at Portia, who's left leg had been badly bruised. Shane, a fighter with a sword and shield, was carrying Mecca with his sword-arm, his shield-arm having been badly burned. Tristan, who was a relatively thin guy at 21 years old, had sustained a bad wound in his midsection, likely during the mob-fight against the weaker char-kin.

Red looked intensely to the charizard preparing for a grand swoop. It had been waiting to see how it could do the most damage- Red chose to give it that opportunity. Or at least the illusion of that opportunity, anyway. "...Give me your bow, quickly," he said to Tristan, his hand already outstretched. The archer shook his head in disbelief and simply did as he was told. "When I give the word, fall to the ground," Red commanded them, notching an arrow as their prey dove to them. The charizard had not seen the archers earlier, for the smoke and cover, and so had little clue he was playing right into Red's hands. But his squad did not have the confidence he had.

_Breathe. _Red held the arrow at full draw, squad mates whimpering behind him. Moments before he fired the one shot he had, Red realized the craziness of what he was doing. Without moving a muscle, he silently resolved himself to it, a single flash of Leaf's face blinking in his mind. Her expression was indeterminable, but Red felt the regret of hurting her all the same, as he fixed his mind upon the mass of heat and hide flying to him. Meanwhile, Shane, who had been holding an unconscious Mecca, dropped her limp body and ran. Tristan and Portia had no time to further react, as the count began.

_Three seconds out_, and the burning mad charizard growled behind closed teeth, bracing for lethal impact.

_Two seconds_, and Red exhaled breath as hot and steady as flame, his red eyes scorching the air between his body and the drake's.

_One; loose_.

"Down!" Red suddenly shouted as he threw himself face-flat upon the ground. Tristan and Portia, the two archers, and suspected-couple, were holding hands fiercely as they dropped. Loud and angry, Tristan roared on the short trip to the ground, "I LOVE YOU!" But, loud as his words were, all was deafened by the blazing howl of agony the charizard gave as it buckled midair, just feet overhead, and smashed into the ground like a giant rock falling from a mountain.

Red laid there on the dirty ground for a moment, breathing harshly into the sand. More images of Leaf, and Green, raced through his head. He'd made a promise three years earlier, when he was 15 and reckless, and felt both guilty and silly for thinking of something so distant at precisely that minute. He pushed the thoughts away as he put both hands on the ground, fighting the strain he put on his body by thrusting himself to the ground so violently. Slowly, Red picked himself up, casting a look at the remaining three of his squad. With a start, he limped over to Mecca's motionless body and checked her breathing and pulse. It was shallow, but definitely there. She wasn't done; Mecca was tough. Red was beyond relieved to see she was still alive.

"Are you two OK?" He asked concernedly to the two archers, the responsibility for a half-downed team grabbing hold of his mind. Tristan lay on the ground looking half-dead, but he was clearly alive. Portia laid there with him, the two still holding hands. They were looking each other in the eyes. Red remembered how close they'd always been, but he really didn't think Tristan had the guts to tell his best friend how he felt, though it was obvious they were both in love.

Portia responded quietly, "Yeah- I'm OK. My leg... really hurts, though." Red half-limped over to Portia as she and Tristan sat up; he was examining the moderate damage at Portia's left shin. The skin looked like it had been both ripped and burned, which is exactly what happens when hit by the end of a char-kin's tail. The reverse-facing scales peel away whatever they hit, and the flames emanating from it practically cauterize the wound. Tristan looked plaintively at his love's ripped leg, ignoring the reopened wound below his ribs. It was bandaged to slow the bleeding but he still needed help quickly. After taking-in the damage, Red realized one was unaccounted for.

"Where's Shane? I saw him; he was right here a minute ago, holding Mecca," Red looked around him several times, spine still thumping, before calling out his name. A few times of that before Tristan spoke.

"Red. Shane ran. He left- he dropped Mecca and just ran. I wasn't looking, but... he wou- he would've been right about where..." he pointed lingeringly at where the wounded and still charizard was. His melancholic sigh instigated some kind of panic in Red, and he turned swiftly from Tristan to the beast, ignoring his pain. Running over to the dragon's front, Red searched quietly, too hesitant to say his name. But as the fear grew, he disregarded the pressure at the top of his stomach- the fear that he'd lost another squad mate.

"Shane! Shane!" Red was double-checking everything now. He ran around the beast again and looked behind nearby rocks, frantic at the new-found silence raining upon him. "SHANE!"

Nothing.

"Shane! ..._you_-" he glared pointedly at the charizard, face red and eyes redder, while the beast quietly looked back at him. "You _motherfucker_!" Red stormed furiously to the sword still nailed in the charizard's neck, cursing as he roughly dislodged it. "You bastard. You did not kill another of my teammates. You did **not** take someone else from me! You bastard; _you did not_!" Red screamed in anger as he hacked away at the neck of the now dead beast. He stood there for a full minute, slashing away like an angered child until he cut messily through the neck to the bone. The blood like lava was everywhere. Spilling onto the ground from a dead volcano, it actually didn't seem to harden or even cool, splashes of it warming Red's outfit as he spitefully kicked the bleeding charizard head, still strong and proud, even in ignoble death. Red heard a grunt just as he reared his foot for another kick- it had come from underneath the dragon, and with no hesitation, he moved to locate and retrieve the person from beneath the corpse.

Red pulled Shane over to a surprised Tristan and Portia. He was groaning and yelping as he slid, though Red was as gentle as he could be. Portia tried to get a few words from him, but Shane could only summon indications of obvious pain. Both of Shane's legs and his right arm- his sword arm- was broken. Cuts and severe bruises were all he was now.

"Dammit," Tristan said, tears welling in his eyes at the sight of another broken squad mate, "Dammit, Red! Why didn't we _run_? Why didn't we take defensive measures, or hurt its wings more, or- or play it smart, at least! Why the hell did you have to go into "auto-kill" and shut us out like that?! Dammit..." He stammered through the words and broke down, still cursing.

Red didn't have a response. He just watched Tristan cry, solemn and grieved. Portia tried to calm Tristan, but ended up just crying with him. Red knew his mistake- knew it before he made it, even, but he couldn't control it. Not really. Once he let himself go there, he just didn't stop. A part of him wanted to argue that he'd saved all their lives by moving independently, but that wasn't necessarily true. Plus, it was a jerk thing to do, anyway. Red knew he should've put the team first; the team always comes first.

A return to his promise of three years ago- he couldn't fight it this time. The memory of that day, that fight. He was careless; he disregarded all of his training, for arrogance then. Two raticates and 3 ratatas. Green had spied them on the rounds they made around the town and proposed he, Red, and Leaf go take care of them before they began raiding houses and such. They all agreed and took off into the brush that surrounded Pallet Town. It was summer then- hot and humid, with the town being so close to the ocean. Red was just wearing a light jacket and his cap, not expecting to face more than a few overgrown rats. He would maybe kill the ratatas and the tougher, hardier raticates would flee- live to fight another day. That's what he expected. But when the rat convoy was sabotaged by a small flock of pidgeys with a pidgeotto as their leader, things quickly turned sour. Aerial pokemon required special equipment to handle effectively- a steel mesh net, primarily. Which not one of them had brought.

10 minutes later, each minute filled with maneuvering skillfully around a relatively open field, and the pidgeys had mostly been driven off, a few carrying away the dead ratatas. Unexpectedly, one of the raticates had stayed to fight the pidgeotto. It was outmatched against the raptor, but still, it fought bravely. Red and the others were watching the pokemon duel to see which one they'd have to kill, when he spied the second raticate hiding in the bushes not too far away. It was injured, given the way it shivered. Red just walked over to it without a word to Leaf or Green and plunged his sword clean through; the critter wasn't shaking anymore. What Red didn't notice was the raticate that had been fighting begin running towards him, with pidgeotto giving chase. In fact, Red didn't even see Green expertly spear that raticate dead in its tracks, and the pidgeotto zoom past it. All Red saw as he turned around was Leaf blocking him one second, and her being struck by a pidgeotto's beak, the next.

She fell onto him with a grunt, both of them falling to the ground as the pidgeotto nipped, pecked, and clawed at Leaf's back as she clung to Red, who was struggling to try and get to his feet. A few seconds passed before Green tried and failed to tackle the bird, which just flew away, claiming the raticate with Green's spear in it. Leaf screamed as Green crashed onto her freshly bitten and clawed back, clinging to Red all the harder as tears slipped from her cheek to his.

Later on, after she had been stabilized in the hospital-like wing of Pallet Compound, she and Red spoke, while Green talked to his uncle, Dr. Woods, who both owned the building and who had patched-up Leaf.

"Why..." he'd asked her. "Why did you do that? You could've been killed, Leaf! Do you even realize?!"

"Says the one who almost died himself!" Her words were strained, voice rasping. "You idiot. You idiot! How many times do I have to tell you to be careful?! Just because you're good with a sword doesn't mean you're invincible, you **jerk**. You can't just run around playing by your own rules- that's how people die. That's how _you_ could die! What would I do then? Huh?! _Asshole_," Leaf abashed. Her words were harsh, but her tone was brokenhearted, and she began crying as she looked away. For the first time in years, then, Red cried too. Sunlight from the window of the room caught their tears and Leaf's cheeks sparkled. For some reason, Red always remembered that.

"...I'm sorry. I'm sorry, OK? I didn't me- I- I never wanted..." he'd given up trying to find the words when Leaf turned her watery azure eyes back to him, somehow capturing his gaze even as small tears escaped his eyes, forcing him to catch his breath. Then, her soft pink lips turned upwards, and she wiped her eyes.

"You baby," she teased, "Just... just _promise me_ you'll be more careful. We're a team, right? It's just us out here, so we've got to look out for each other," She held out her hand, the baggy sleeve of her hospital robe revealing the bandage on her upper arm. He took it quietly and looked back to the small oceans that had always held him. "I really don't know what I'd do if I lost you- especially because of a stupid rat."

Red just smiled, and began to laugh, "Right? No way for heroes like us to go." He looked at her intensely for a moment, despite his tiny smile, and when he spoke, his words were genuine.

"I promise."


	3. Chapter 2 - Harley Knew Ye

_Chapter 2 - "Farewell, Kid- We Harley Knew Ye"_

* * *

_Mecca, __Harley__, Shane- you're with me. Move! …We're going to strike the neck, just like the archers!_

_Harley…strike the neck, just like the archers!_

…_the__ neck__…_

Strike the neck, just like the archers. That's what Red ordered- he knew it, he remembered it, and now he just kept repeating it, while the scene played once more in his mind. He said 'Attack the neck,' not the head. Harley must've heard- everyone else did. So why the hell didn't he listen? Red pondered the question grimly as he walked with Green to the dead drake- the charizard.

Much as he would've liked to simply write it off as a loss, Red couldn't help but be shaken, seeing as how Harley's was the first death Red had actually witnessed. It didn't bother him in the way that he'd previously feared it would; he didn't freeze, he didn't panic, and he didn't get himself killed, either. The only thing Red felt, now that the anger had subdued with the fall of the char-kin, was pensive, much like most people saw him as, anyway. He kept trying to figure out, in the minutes before he would tell Green what had happened, _why_ Harley died. But Red had no idea. Why didn't he listen? Was he stupid, or hard of hearing? Was he really so arrogant as to disobey the order, or had the dragon moved so that striking its head was imminent, and thus, entirely accidental? Or did Red just fail as a leader and a warrior? Every guild member, even the few who stayed back in Viridian City, had attended the brief prior to the mission. Before that, there was training every day, and even many of the resources for Pokemon slaying through which Red, Green, and Leaf had learned were always available. Taking all that in to account, Red still thought on the cause behind Harley's fatal error, and Green began speaking before having Red's attention.

"Man… man, I… I really can't believe this. Dude, this is incredible!" he raved, Red slowly looking towards him.

"You guys are the best. Man, you guys _actually_ did it! Hahaha! This is a great day!" He stepped in close to the charizard's skull and stooped down, a wicked smile on his face. With a sinister voice, he chided the slump on the ground.

"You jackass. Did you really think we wouldn't get you? You thought you could just come here and fuck with us? _Scare_ us? _Hunt us_? Nah. Nope, that's not how this game works… haha- now you know, and so will every other Pokemon. We are not to be trifled with!" Green smiled triumphantly as he rose to his feet; he turned to Red, who was just gazing thoughtfully at the unrecognizable corpse-mess of Harley a few yards away, though Green didn't know that.

"And you! I saw it- just now- an _arrow_ to eye! To the damned **eye**! How in the hell did your guys pull that off? Was it Tristan? I bet- still trying to wow Portia into asking him out," he laughed, still fully engaged in his monologue, "Ah, but I bet that _hurt_. Must've crippled the thing good. Once you had that, move swift enough and you'd probably kill it right then. You bastard- is that what happened? Haha, you never did fight fair- always going for the weak spot. I guess you had little choice with this guy, though," Green concluded heartily. After one final laugh, he looked expectantly at Red, who was still dour. With a long, humored sigh, he walked over to Red and slung his arm over his shoulder, pulling him close. Red probably would've twisted the arm of any other man who did this, but with Green, he simply let out a sigh of his own and looked the guild master in the eye.

"…I had a casualty," Red confessed.

It took a full 10 seconds for Green's smile to fade, before he said, in a simply confused manner, "What?"

"My guy, Harley, died. The charizard... look, I told him to hit the neck, and- despite everything- he went for the skull. That's when, you know, it got him..." It wasn't often that Red was timid, but that's how he came off now, which Green couldn't help but notice before he fully-comprehended the tragedy behind today's triumph.

"So, we- that kid- wha?- he..." Green just shook his head, upset. "No- no, no, no, no, no! **Dammit**, man. Ugh. We trained for so frickin' long for stuff like this! I mean, aw dammit, Red. What did we say before we came out here? Huh?" He drew close to Red, a stern look in his eye. "No one else was going to die- right? Isn't that what we said? Answer me!"

Indignantly, Red defended himself, angry at Green's suddenly harsh tone.

"Hey, don't _patronize _me. This isn't on me! I did everything I could for that kid, and he threw his life away like a fucking doofus! Ok? I told him, 'Strike the neck,' -alright?- '_Strike the neck_,' **that's** what I said! He didn't listen, and now he's dead, and I damn-near killed that thing on my own. Ok?! So don't put this on _me_; don't come at _me_, like I just **let** him die- there was nothing I could do!"

"Oh, save that bullshit! What do you mean, 'It's not on you?' Of course it's on you- you're **Squad Leader**! What the hell do you think that means? It's _responsibility_, jackass! You're Squad Leader because I trusted you to lead- not just because you're my friend, not just because you can fight- because you _lead_! Or don't you know that? Don't you know anything?! Or do you just not even care?"

"_Seriously_?!" Red waved him off angrily and he and Green went back and forth, talking over each other for several moments. Dust flew softly in the air, and the squads looked on quietly from a distance as the two best friends clashed. The huge corpse lay there on the ground beside them, intimidating even in death, as if to oversee the debate. Finally, Green just groaned and grabbed Red firmly by the shoulders, looking him squarely in the eyes. Red looked back at him defiantly, but he also went silent.

"Red. You're my best friend. Ok? So, just... _listen_: I'm not trying to say** his** death was **your** fault- that's not what I'm saying. I'm saying that you are **responsible** for your people. You tried your best to direct him, and he couldn't follow," Green's voice was steady, but still insistent, "So you should've retreated. Fallen back and taken a more tactical approach, or at least had him do something else. This wasn't worth losing one of our people, man. We're out here to _save_ people- that's why we do whatever it takes to keep everyone alive. We're not soldiers, fighting to the death, we're _guardians_, and the less people we have to help, the less help we are, man- you gotta realize that," he finished.

"I know that!" Red began, "I know that. Look, the situation did not allow for a retreat, Green. This thing is exactly like we've seen and read- it doesn't let up. He- Harley- slipped up in what was supposed to be a crippling blow; he fell, and that thing made sure he didn't get back up. Now, don't tell me that you think I would not have pulled back if I could. There's no way I'd let anyone die for a victory that I could get at anytime. I mean, at least... at least, if it wasn't too late by then, anyway." Red exhaled sourly, and Green asked him what he meant.

"After Harley died, I... I went solo. I should've regrouped then and made a strategic retreat, or something, but I didn't. Because of that, Shane's in critical condition; I mean, it'll be weeks at least before he could even think about fighting again. He might quit, actually..." At this, Green admitted his confusion, and Red gave him the full report of what happened, from the time that the charizard was summoned by its kin, to when it was defeated.

"Ah, shit... well, yeah, I guess you wouldn't have been able to help that too much- Harley, I mean. And Shane... Tristan said he ran?" Red nodded in response. "Well, then he took that risk on his own. Should've ran to the side, if anything," Green yielded. He looked at Red, who was looking at the sky soberly, hands loosely on his hips. They were still wearing the brownish-orange fire-retardant suits, but where Green's suit was torn, frayed, or otherwise damaged, Red's seemed like it was just as good as when he'd put it on earlier, which must've meant that he didn't get seriously hit at any point during the fight.

Red's black hair fluffed with the wind, his mask now, of course, removed, since the threat of flames had been quelled. His crimson eyes flit meagerly as he quietly gazed into the afternoon sky, still relatively cloudy, but no longer rainy at all, and his slim jaw was tight. Like most young people in Kanto, both he and Green kept their faces clean-shaven, but neither one of them got into the 'unique hair' trend the plagued even older people. Red's silky hair was somewhat unkempt, but clean, and it fell naturally into a sleek and loose style- fitting with the hat he normally wore- whereas Green's longer hair was in combed into obnoxious spikes, a popular style from the Hoenn region. With a sudden smile, Green once more took Red under his arm, and Red did the same, as the two began to walk back towards their teammates.

"Listen, I'm sorry; how about we get some drinks back in Viridian, huh? Let me make it up to you," Green beamed.

"...Ok, but you know I only like the expensive stuff!" Red smiled.

"Yes, yes, you're a very classy date- only the best f-" Green started to tease. In the middle of speaking, however, he was interrupted by an explosion to the north. Quickly looking around to see if everyone was accounted for, Green remembered that it was only his squad and Red's here- Squad 3 was still out, in the vicinity of the explosion he'd just heard. He didn't waste any time.

"Hey, four people that can move and fight- let's go!" Green barked. His squad gathered to him, since all of Red's people were at least wounded. Only a single person from Squad 1 stayed behind with the rest. They all gathered into a single grouping of six, put on any gear they'd removed, and ran off to investigate the activity.

_Leaf_, Green thought nervously, _you better be ok!_ It was a long run to Squad 3's location, just as it had been with getting to Squad 2's, for him. He wondered if Leaf would have even heard the recall horn Red blew earlier; he barely heard it himself, even though he wasn't fighting or talking during its sounding. Silently, Green cursed his search plans, and wished that he'd kept everyone closer together. As if to speak to this, Red voiced his frustration.

"Argh, I never realized how long this beach was!" Like-minded comments came from the others in the group, spurring Red and Green to run faster. But they were still about two miles away- near twenty minutes of running, for their speed.

Thick black smoke was already rising portentously over the area, but a loud, fierce roar announced something Green had been wondering about, and nearly stopped Red in his tracks. Draped in a cloak of black wisps, an orange dragon burst majestically from the dark cloud, flying straight from the area and back towards the sea. Fire blew from the mouth of the charizard as it soared, most likely back to the Orange Islands, and Red glared at the creature, vowing within his thoughts to hunt the thing no matter where it flew if anything had happened to Leaf. Looking back to where he was running, he still couldn't see the source of the attack. Only an inky plume of burning smoke lifting his fear into the sky.

Almost two miles away, in a large, old, and burning cavern, Leaf and her team- Squad 3- crawled somewhat swiftly from the depths they'd been investigating. Dirty, tired, and only a little pissed-off, Leaf and her crew had miraculously managed to survive two very bad situations, and were nearing full-survival of a third. She bitterly imagined the other squads sitting around, laughing and drinking while she pulled herself along the ground, deep and dangerous smoke filling the air and funneling slowly out of the tunnels. In the dark of the smoke, she couldn't see and barely remembered her way out. Gratefully, she thought back to the designing phase of ordering the gear she and the guild currently wore, and was glad she demanded a basic respirator be implemented into the mask. It was more expensive to create and didn't completely protect from smoke and chemical agents, but when laying on the ground and exerting minimal energy to move, at least shallow breathing was possible.

A relatively uneventful hunt became a near-suicide mission when an unexpected influx of charmanders and charmeleons rushed into the cavern Squad 2 was in. Given how hesitant the char-kin were to attack, she didn't think it was an ambush, but in the tight, hot corridors of the cavern, it may as well have been. Driven back to an open area, she thought she'd finally get the advantage, when she practically stumbled into a matron's nest. A _charizard _matron's nest. Once again, the creatures were just as surprised to see her as she was them. Ten fire-spawn blocking her only sensible exit and another fifteen moving to prevent her from handling the situation properly, one of those fifteen being a charizard. She swallowed her fear and pressed to left wall towards another exit, her squad following her every move. Char-kin pressed and tested, releasing small fireballs and gouts without getting too close or even aiming carefully, and the charizard itself mostly just watched and growled. Surprisingly, Leaf didn't have to fight her way out. The char-kin seemed to want her gone as quickly and peacefully as possible, and she was eager to oblige them in such a dire situation. Looking around as she carefully stepped closer and closer to an opening, she realized it was mostly charmanders and unhatched eggs around the charizard. Of course the mother wouldn't want to risk harm to her children, Leaf thought. Still, she and the rest of the guild had already killed plenty, it must have known that. Would the charizard simply wait and take the fight elsewhere, or what? The creatures were too aggressive to just want to be left alone, especially after an assault like the one she'd delivered. So what was going on?

Leaf coughed abruptly, stopping her crawling and her reflection on how she got into the smoky mess. She refocused on her path after a few seconds, heat blazing overhead in the ridiculous smog. It showed no signs of thinning, though it had to be doing so. Behind her, the five other members of Squad 2 were quietly filing along. Leaf felt terrible that she'd let her squad be put into such a dire circumstance, but relieved that they were at least capable of handling it. Annoyed at her situation, she considered what another Squad would have done, as each squad was composed in a balanced, yet strategic way.

Her squad specialized in reconnaissance and infiltration. Analyzing movements, infiltrating nests or habitats, and quietly dispatching enemies was her preferred method of mission completion, and her squad was composed of like-minded guild members. In larger battles, she would circumnavigate the battlefield, picking off enemies from a distance, and every single member of Leaf's team was at least trained in archery. Squad 2 excelled in maneuver and guerrilla tactics- which basically meant they moved quickly from place to place, hitting their enemies in conspicuous and critical ways, either to attract and subdue weaker enemies or to lower defenses until they easily could swoop in for a killing blow. Squad 1 led the charge on the front line. Obvious and powerful, Green and his guys went for a straight challenge with little-to-no secrecy or deception in his tactics, except for the occasional reliance on the other squads for cover, to avoid being overwhelmed without having to fall back. It was all about power and domination, or shock and awe for them; killing every enemy, or beating a few so badly that the rest would run. And surprisingly, they were good at it.

When the three of them were still kids- Leaf, Green, and Red- they practiced and perfected their roles in nearly every battle, be it against one Pokemon or several. She would go first, stealthily, get behind the enemy, and engage from a remote front, while Green attacked directly. Red's would exercise constant mobility, aiming for critical locations not covered by Leaf, which directly benefited Green's assault. The trio had learned about combat operations and strategy from one of Dr. Woods' hundreds of books, all of which they were more than welcome to.

With an irritated sigh, Leaf refused to conclude that any one squad was better than the others, and instead determined that she must've had the greatest chance of surviving simply because she was the most careful. Any other group would have likely engaged the char-kin and subsequently...

Belatedly, and not coincidentally following another cough, Leaf realized that she'd gotten side-tracked again. She hated the heat, and blamed it for her terrible concentration. At the same time, she was starting to feel a little light-headed, and she realized that she needed to get fresh air as soon as possible. She owed it to her squad to get out of the black caverns and live to fight another day; Leaf dedicated herself to inching forward all the faster, remembering with some effort that the curve of the path she was currently on mirrored the one she'd come in forty minutes ago. By her calculation, it would only take another fifteen minutes or so of crawling to get out, as she recalled the way she initially got to where she was now. Smiling to herself, she noted that neither Red or Green would've remembered details like that, and willfully focused on the path, smoke like tangible death literally just overhead.

12 minutes later, and just as she predicted, Leaf pulled herself out of the caverns onto a dirty beach full of rocks and shrubs. It wasn't really a beach- there wasn't even any sand there- but it was close enough to the water that everyone called it that, and even so, she was nearly thirty minutes away from the actual ocean. Thinking about the ocean made Leaf long for a cool bath and a swim as she eagerly, yet carefully, rose to her feet, far enough away from the billowing smoke to stand. She glanced around once to ensure the safety of the scene, then hurriedly pulled off her mask, nearly falling over for being so light-headed. As her squad joined her in a circle, they all ripped off their masks, coughing and hacking as they hurried to inhale fresh oxygen once more. After a full-minute of just breathing, one of the group- Oliver- started laughing. The others joined him in a moment, questioningly, and he explained at the look on everyone's face.

"Sorry, sorry, it's just- I really didn't think we were going to make it back there. And, when I joined up with the guild," he panted, a smile still on his adolescent face, "My ma actually told me that whenever there was a chance I was going to die, not to eat or drink beforehand. I asked her, you know, 'What are you talking about?', and she just said, 'You'll see!' Haha, man, now I know what she meant- I'm just glad I could hold it!" He laughed as he ran into a thick brush, and the whole squad groaned humorously upon hearing his relieved sighs.

Everyone laughed heartily as they exchanged fears and presumptions about how their situation would end. Leaf examined her team as they chatted; outfits were torn, cut, and blackened, and a there were a couple injuries. They looked completely different from when they'd arrived. A few of them had dropped their weapons in the explosion, Leaf included. She still had her small swords, but that was her favorite bow, she thought with a pout. Still, she was really just glad that everyone was still alive. Looking at the huge smoke cloud, she grabbed the recall horn from her squad mate, Salvatore, and gave a long call. When she gave it back, her squad was looking at her bemusedly.

"Just in case they don't know," Leaf explained with an innocent tone, bringing everyone to laughter once more.

Five more minutes passed before the rescue team showed up. Red, Green, and most of Squad 1, arrived with heavy breathing, supposedly ready to leap into the still smoking caves and make a daring rescue. Leaf smiled at their naive bravery as she and her team happily walked towards them.

The moment Red saw Leaf, he ran to her, all wide-eyed, along with Green. The three embraced each other in a group hug, silent yet clearly over-joyed. Red held Leaf close, and Green held both of them from the side. Green and Red let go after several seconds, conspicuously checking Leaf to make sure she was ok, until she firmly said as much.

"Man, you idiots had me worried!" Green fumed. "What in all hell happened?! We heard an explosion and saw _another_ damn charizard flying away... we thought that you- uh, well, it looked bad," Green explained, frustrated and indignant. Red just looked at Leaf expectantly, waiting, as well, for an explanation.

Leaf took a big breath and sighed flippantly. "Well, it started with us investigating these caves around here, right? Then we came to this one, and started investigating it, too. Well, imagine our surprise when, as we're poking around, a bunch of Pokemon rush in all hurried-like, even though we already cleared the area outside; we were disorganized, and they ended up pushing us back, pretty much into a charizard's nest. It was ok, though, since they weren't really attacking us, so much as just "encouraging" us to get out. Or so we thought. Well, they pushed us back into what I figured must've been an alternate exit," Leaf detailed, suddenly adopting a serious look and clearing her throat, "However, it was a **trap**. We started running down the cave path, trying to find the exit, but all we found was another open-space within the cavern. One filled with a bunch of koffing and weezing, and enough gas to blow us all sky-high. I'm guessing from then, the charizard had the caves evacuated and then released the huge-ass fireball we saw that ignited the gas, which caused the explosion and nearly killed us all. If it weren't for some damn convenient cover and these suits, we'd probably be dead. The air filters were an invaluable addition, by the way- glad _I_ thought of it," she said pointedly.

"Koffing and weezing- the _Pokemon_? I thought those sacks of poison stuck to the cities," Sarah, one of Squad 1's members, said.

"Usually that's where we hear about them, but they're attracted to heat, too. I suppose it's possible that a few might've come to the caves in response to the heat brought by the charizard's nest," Red deduced, "But still, it isn't so hot that they'd just be wandering around this area in the first place; they don't normally make the flight across the ocean, even if they are common in the Orange Islands." Red couldn't make any sense of it as he tried to figure out what the hell had caused Leaf to come into so much danger. "Maybe there was another entrance- somewhere else, where they could wander in more sensibly."

"By the way," Salvatore of Squad 3 said, "Did you say you encountered another charizard?"

"Yeah, Red and Squad 2 did, only about fifteen minutes before we saw that other one flying away from the explosion here. Ah, I wish we could've brought it down! I wanna fight, too..." Squad 1 member, Marshall, pouted.

"Yeah, yeah, there definitely shouldn't have been any floating explosives around, and we all feared there would be more than one charizard, but we can worry about all that later," Green irately decided. "For now, I think we've done alright securing the area. There's not a damn char-thing in sight. Let's just get back to Pallet Town, tonight, and we'll head for Viridian, tomorrow." He muttered to himself quietly as he turned around, "Damn, there's just too much going on!"

"Yeah," Leaf agreed with a weary smile, "I'm beyond tired. Plus, it'll be good to get some home-cooked food again!" The other guild members cheered warmly at a job well-done, looking forward to Pallet Town's hearty, yet modest cooking.

As the squads began heading back to the site of the dead charizard where the others were, chatting and laughing, an annoyed Red looked around, upset at all the good cheer, until a sideways glance from Green made him realize- the others probably didn't know about the casualty, yet. Thinking back, he thought that he was speaking so loudly at the time, but key details from his argument with Green were somewhat hushed. The others only knew they were arguing, but not about what, and if Tristan and Portia didn't say anything... well, it's not like most people payed attention to Harley, anyway. All that meant to Red was that he'd just have to ruin everyone's mood later. He looked back curiously at Squad 3. They were banged up, bruised and clearly hurt, but still alive- each of them. Red couldn't help but gaze at the dirt, crestfallen and reminded once more of his feelings of incompetence and failure, despite knowing the inherent desperation his situation had bore. He was quiet for another ten minutes, taking no part in the chat flowing through the group, and even failing to notice the increasingly obvious peeks Leaf had been sneaking at him; he was staring, then, over the ocean, towards the Orange Islands, which were only just visible from the beach.

Unexpectedly, Leaf went over to Red and grabbed his arm, pulling him forward and out of his head, since he had meandered to the back of the group.

"What's the matter with you?" She asked playfully.

"Ah... just wondering about the purpose behind it all. You know, if it was always _meant to be_ like this, God's plans, and all that," he casually mimicked.

"Oh, you're a thinking man now, huh? I guess my little "jackass" evolved." The two of them laughed softly, both of their hearts too heavy for the usual joking. After a moment, Leaf bit her lip guiltily; clutching Red tighter, she said soberly, "You can say it, if you want."

"What?" He said with a small blush, thinking she was referring to the romance of their interlocking arms.

"What I would say to you. That I... I was reckless, that I should be more careful, that I should've known it was trap, or-or that I almost got everyone killed, or..." she exhaled somberly, realizing she was just echoing her own thoughts to him.

"...No. I'm the one who should hear that, not say it," Red admitted. Upon the inevitable 'What do you mean?', he took a deep breath, cleared his throat to catch everyone's attention, and confessed loud enough for everyone to hear, "Harley died today, against the charizard. My squad mate was killed... and it's **my** fault." Everyone stopped walking.

Leaf looked at Red studiously, as if she could determine how exactly she felt by looking at him. Red's face was plain and guilty; his red eyes gazed honestly into her blue, and her small mouth fell a bit agape as his words sunk in. A few seconds later, the entire group was buzzing quietly at the news. Green only stared sadly from his position at the head of the pack. Questions and comments pulled themselves into the air, with everyone expecting another argument. Expecting Leaf to scold Red like they'd all seen her do before- to tell him that he was careless, arrogant, or selfish; that he was still just a man, and nothing more, or to at least lecture him on the principles of operational command, like Green had. The expected her to be the humility that Red so often lived without. But instead, Leaf didn't say a word; all she did was take Red by his slim torso and hold him, like she had also done so many times before, burying her soft face firmly in his neck, and she didn't let him go until long after he did the same. His thin, tight lips pressed gently against her ear, as he whispered a thousand apologies.

* * *

_**A/N :**_ I'm terribly sorry this took me while to get out- work has been kinda busy lately, and I haven't had as much free time as I did three weeks ago. However, I'll try to get each chapter put out in a week to two weeks time. Additionally- there is art! I got my Cintiq digital drawing tablet the other day, and you can expect original depictions probably by the next chapter, uploaded to my Deviantart account, which I'll provide a link to at the appropriate time. One more thing, just to clarify, as I realize my writing style may be somewhat confusing to some:

_Sentences that seem like dialogue, but are only in italics_, _represent someone thinking the content. Usually I'll say, 'He thought,' to clearly indicate this. The beginning of this chapter is one instance in which that didn't seem necessary, _the author thought. Dialogue that I put in **bold** indicates small, pointed emphasis on the word to heighten attention to the speaker's emotion- usually anger, guilt, or sorrow. Dialogue that I put in _italics _indicates long emphasis on the word, in which each syllable is drawn out for effect. Usually means to draw attention to curiosity, awe, or determination. Furthermore, in this chapter, I demonstrated the typical method/way that I'll be switching focus from each main character. To me, it seems smooth and natural- much more so than a line break with three asterisks, or by simply doing each chapter in a single character's perspective. That's my style! Let me know if you have any questions, comments, or what-have-you. Thank you for reading!


	4. Chapter 3 - Flames, Flames, Go Away

_Chapter 3 - "Flames, Flames, Go Away"_

* * *

It was starting to rain again, there at the grassy south-western tip of Kanto. The summer was always wet since Pallet Town was only 10 miles from the southern waters. Everyone in the small community was inside, warming themselves by their hearths or furnaces, basking in good company and cheer. It was around 8 PM, the beginning of the summer evening, and the working day was done for most everyone except Scarlet, the owner of Pallet Town's only bar and restaurant. A sizable crowd amassed in the relatively small dining locale, each eager to hear of the victory of the "Pokehunters"- the informal moniker of the guild, which was forced into taking a more official-sounding name upon its creation- the "Western Kanto Pokemon Elimination and Control Agency". As the rain poured outside, thunder booming occasionally, a guild master told the story of his ferocious battle.

Green was at the center of an impromptu stage, delivering a splendid show for the excited patrons as they nipped their dinner and sipped their ale. He gave a report of a dangerous clash, the story of the guild facing down two charizards and dozens of their spawn. The crowd "ooh-ed" and "ahh-ed" at his every sentence, and he proved himself quite the actor.

His story was, of course, untrue. The real tale was rather uninteresting, except for a few parts which didn't exactly pan-out well. The guild chose to excite the weary, wondering citizens of Pallet Town rather than relay the death and serious injury that had actually occured, along with all the uneventful hunting on Squad 1's part. Regardless of losses suffered, Green performed marvelously, pulling every citizen closer from their seats with bated breath, until he sent them back with their laughter.

Despite the joy it brought, Red was uninterested in the story. He sat, instead, at the far seat on the bar table, looking out a window and into the rain while the presentation went on. His mother, Scarlet, came to him with a proud smile on her lips and fresh food in her hands. Next to her was Leaf, wearing an apologetic mask. She'd tried to distract Scarlet for as long as possible, to give Red a chance to compose himself; as good as he may have been at deceptive combat, he was always terrible at tricking his mother.

"Red, you should be eating, honey. You've had an exciting day," she beamed, "and it's time for the best part!"

"Uh, thanks, Mom," he said, taking the food with a sigh. He'd hoped she would let him alone for the evening, but knew well that it would never happen.

"So, Green's playing this up pretty well, but here you are, moping-" she looked Red up-and-down in a playfully suspicious way- "what really happened?"

Red looked at her despondently for a moment, and then at Leaf, who just shrugged her shoulders helplessly. He turned back to the rain, and took a deep breath, swallowing his shame. He knew she'd find out eventually, and there was no way he'd get away with lying, even this once. He turned back to her, trying to look as professional as possible.

"We lost someone- a rookie, who was in over his head," Red said plainly.

Scarlet just looked at him, in the terribly slowed manner that everyone so far had, realization classically dawning upon her. Was it really so hard to believe that someone could have died? It was a charizard- a delta-class pokemon, meaning it posed a direct and imminent threat to human life. So why did everyone gape at Red, as if they couldn't believe it? It only killed him all the more.

"How? Oh, no- no, I'm sorry, that's obvious," she breathed nervously, "oh my god, Red- baby- I'm so sorry." Scarlet put her arms around Red and hugged him in the concerned, motherly manner that always embarrassed him a little. Leaf modestly looked into the rain while sitting behind Scarlet, her cerulean eyes abruptly capturing a lightning bolt. Red remembered that Leaf had lost her own parents years ago, as he gave his mother the hug-ending pat on the back.

"It's ok, Mom. We were... prepared, I guess. I mean, there's always a chance that something will go wrong," Red tried to explain, "so, we'll swallow it and keep moving."

"'_Swallow it and keep moving', _huh?" Scarlet huffed doubtfully, sensitivity turning to willfulness. "Some kid dies and you're just going to keep moving? Wasn't he one of your friends?" Red scowled in response, as she persisted. "You know I never liked the idea of you doing this- moving to Viridian City, fighting all these monsters, risking your life for something so... so ridiculous!"

"What's ridiculous about keeping people safe?" Red questioned.

"You're a _chi_- ...you are my son. It's **my** job to keep **you** safe, to worry about you," she rationalized, "and you being a- a _soldier_ prevents that."

"I'm not a _kid_ anymore, Mom- I don't need to be coddled," Red insisted. He tried to keep his voice down, as Green continued to draw-out his performance. The audience was still listening intently, but he didn't want to risk someone figuring out things had gone worse than they'd been told.

Scarlet sighed- not wanting to fight- "I know. I know you're not a kid. But you're still _my_ kid," she smiled compassionately, "I'm always gonna worry and hassle you- like it or not." She, too, looked to the rain. "It's just... it seems like it was just yesterday that you _were_ a kid, talking about going to the city, being some kind of pokemon-hunter. I thought it was just phase, or a pipe-dream. But, you started training, fighting, saving money, and now here you are: a real _warrior_..."

"What we do has to be done, Mom, you know that- you know **why**." He hugged his mother firmly, trying his best to seem strong and determined, but he knew the truth was always there, waiting behind the bravado; there was always a chance that he'd end up like so many others.

"I guess so, hon," she conceded. They quietly held their hug for a few more seconds, Scarlet not wanting to make any more of a scene. They'd already been through this, after all. The day that Red initially left Pallet Town was like this, except that didn't end with a reassuring hug, but with a fuming separation.

Leaf sat quietly, listening to the family conversation. She'd always been like a daughter to Scarlet, since she and Red were so close, but in moments like this, she couldn't help but feel inappropriate- like she didn't belong. Absentmindedly, Leaf gave a brief smile as the older woman left to go tend to patrons heartily calling for more ale. When Scarlet had gone, Leaf sat closer to Red.

"Sorry," she apologized.

Red just put his left arm around Leaf, pulling her in. "Don't be; I knew I'd have to tell her, and I knew she'd react like this." He still sounded sad. The two sat there humbly; Leaf put her arm around Red's waist, and he put his free hand on top of hers, unconsciously making the two seem very much like an item to the people some feet behind them. Whispers and adoring looks captured the room, but neither of them noticed. They were both looking at an old picture. A much younger Red and Leaf, along with Green, Scarlet, and Dr. Woods, smiled half-heartedly at their now older counterparts; they stood, frozen and embracing, proudly on the wall in a gold frame- a reminder of easily-forgotten times.

"Haha," Leaf laughed, "I hated that day. It was so hot, and my head was so itchy and my back all sweaty."

"Same here!" Red agreed. "Why, of all things, did we have to take a stupid picture outside? It wasn't even just the picture- we were already outside, all day!"

"Right? Not like a little air-conditioning ruins a picture!" The two of them laughed and reminisced on the event from years ago. It was a fond memory, despite how much they disliked it at the time. The two continued to chat while Green fabulously wrapped up his story, noticing the attention his best friend and his cousin were garnering.

_Those two idiots_; Green thought teasingly._ How do you not know you're a couple?_ He began to walk towards them as the crowd applauded and cheered at his triumph, having closed his monologue. Even the other guild members who'd stayed to participate in the good cheer were applauding, probably because they, too, would rather hear about the exciting ideal that the night was supposed to become, rather than the less-than-satisfactory reality.

Townsfolk patted Green on the back for a job-well-done, and Scarlet gave him a congratulatory hug, everyone talked excitedly amongst themselves and to the other guild members, giving Green, Leaf, and Red some breathing room. Green picked up a drink as he stepped behind the bar table so that he'd be on the opposite side of Leaf and Red, and decided to blow away the romantic air, just for kicks.

"Weeeelll," Green yawned loudly, "that was quite the story, I think." He purposely positioned himself right between them, and Red and Leaf quickly broke their embrace at his "sudden" appearance. "Oh man," he gaped at them with mock-surprise, "I'm not interrupting, am I?"

Leaf caught-on and gave Green a disapproving look, but Red was so embarrassed that he just shook his head, saying hurriedly, "No, no, not at all. Nothing, we, uh- we weren't talking about anything." Green only laughed at the difference in their reactions, which he expected.

"Uh-huh, whatever," Green toyed, "but the real question is: what did you think of my performance? I used to think about being an actor, you know."

"Yeah, it was alright-" Leaf said, "_just_ alright." At a surprised look from Green, she elaborated, "Well, who ordered all that ham? And you could feed the whole town with so much cheese!"

"Aha. Aha ha ha. Very funny; what a critique! Well, you know what? You go ahead and make your jokes, but they loved me out there- I felt the buffet of their cheers like wind from the sea!"

"What? What an odd comparison," Red responded.

"No, he's just saying it was wet. Were they spitting? And you _liked_ it?" Leaf joked.

"Oh, so you're into that stuff, huh? Do you like to get peed on, too, or just spit?" Red added.

"Alright, you two just stop. Just _quit_. This is going in a terrible direction, and I'm **not** comfortable with it. Ya jerks!"

All three of them burst-out laughing after a second's pause, joining the crowd in merriment and cheer for the evening. The room was buzzing with smiles and giggling, all from grand tales, fond memories, and of course, strong drink. Warmth locked into everyone's bones as the cold rain continued to fall, leaving many with the choice of staying in the warm, joyous bar, or going out into the dark and shivering rain. Considering that Scarlet had also announced drinks would be served at half the usual price for the whole night, scarcely anyone left. No one blamed anyone for passing out right on the round tables set up every where. It was a night of pure celebration- common in the small hamlet that was Pallet Town, but the party only got livelier when the local celebrity arrived, exhaling energetically into his rain-exposed hands.

Dr. Woods- an incredibly wealthy scientific genius, famed all across the world for his talents and developments with not only human psychology and physiology, but that of pokemon, as well. Most of the humble townsfolk didn't know what exactly the doctor was famous for, aside from the broad topic of "science", but they respected and revered him all the same, and he became the pride of Pallet Town. While most of his huge complex was closed to the general public, the studies of his laboratory and his academic forums attracted many hopefuls and experts in "poke-science", as it was called. His library was near Scarlet's restaurant, and remained open every day, becoming a popular hangout for the townsfolk, including Red, Green, and Leaf in their youth- ultimately enabling them to became the fighters they did. Even aside from that, he was largely responsible for the guild's creation, since he provided much of the initial funding and the building they were based in. His understanding of pokemon physiology and connection to scientists eager to explore their talents was what allowed them to make the innovative, cost-effective fire-resistant suits from the hide of char-kin. When discussing other potential uses and possibilities, the scientists believed the could even fashion weapons from the tails of the char-kin, an exciting possibility to Green, who was Dr. Woods' ambitious nephew, meant to discuss with the doctor, who shook hands and exchanged hearty greetings, as he made his way to his only non-academic students.

"Uncle!" Leaf exclaimed. "I was hoping you'd come out," she said as she embraced him, before pulling away from his rain-chilled coat with a small yelp.

"Good to see you, Unc'!" Green gave Dr. Woods a cheerful side hug, whereas Red hugged him just as happily on the opposite side.

"Good to see you all, too! And of course I had to come see my kids- this is your victory day!" The scientist cheered loudly, encouraging enthusiastic feedback from the room. Everyone knew the relationship between Dr. Woods, Green, Leaf, Red, and Scarlet, who'd been a family, for all intents and purposes.

Green's parents were always abroad, studying pokemon archaeology and ancient cultures. Upon complaining about his boredom at age seven, his parents let him spend a summer with his Uncle in Pallet Town, where he then wished to stay permanently, much to his parents' shock. Throughout his childhood, Green maintained somewhat-regular contact with his ever-adventurous parents while he was tended to by the best maids and servants, as the doctor himself was far too busy to actively raise a child. Leaf's situation, however, was not in her control.

At the age of six, Leaf's parents, who were wealthy officials in the Kanto Regional Government, tragically died in a house fire. She was transported from her ruined estate in Vermillion City to peaceful Pallet Town, where she was taken-in by her kind-hearted uncle, who was already adjusting himself to a more stationary lifestyle after having Green for a year- though he remained incredibly busy. There, she was introduced to her then-snobby cousin, Green, who was eight at the time, and his seven-year-old friend, Red- the only other kid of their age in town.

Red, at the time, was relatively outgoing and cheerful, words hardly anyone would use to describe him currently. Though he and Green clashed often, they were best friends, and Leaf's arrival eventually made the three into a tight-knit trio, bound even closer by the loving, hard-charging Scarlet, who ended up treating each of the kids like her own, since they spent so much time together. After a few years that they'd all known each other, Red's father, Carmine, went out on a business trip to Celadon City. He was supposed to be gone for only two weeks, but he never came back at all- he was reportedly attacked and killed by wild pokemon, most likely a pack of Scythor and Scizor, the policeman said, judging from the way Carmine and his caravan were "hacked apart". It was a destroyed Scarlet who told the kids, each of whom loved the tough, yet jovial, restaurant-owner. They all mourned and lamented, but after the loss of his father, Red was never the same. He became quiet, withdrawn, and deeply resentful of all pokemon who threatened human life. Carmine's death was the reason Green decided to start the guild, having read of a similar force in Cerulean City, which had a severe problem with urban-habitat pokemon. When he brought the idea to his best friend, Red signed on completely, as did Leaf eventually, though she was much more hesitant and afraid at first.

It was these things that made the three young adults who they were; they all grew up together, experiencing similar celebrations and tragedies, and each of them looked at Scarlet and Dr. Woods as family. The five of them all talked on into the night, staying up, drinking and reminiscing, even once most everyone else was either passed out or gone. The other guild members had all set up at the local hotel, eager to get to sleep after the day's tiring hunt, free-of-charge. Green asked his uncle about the possibility of weapon-crafting from the dead char-kin, to which Dr. Wood's replied that it would be difficult, but not at all impossible.

"So, how soon could it be done?" Leaf inquired. "The suits alone took a month."

"That was because you wanted thirty of them; making them all was the longest part of the process. This, however, would be a far more careful situation. The research, the planning, the actual **crafting**- it will be much more meticulous than simply making outfits out of charmander skin. I'd say it could take anywhere from 30 to 150 days, and that's if the researchers don't ruin any of the supply in their forging," Dr. Wood's tentatively explained. He was glad to be able to give his students the chance to make names for themselves by working on a project like this, but it had been attempted before, and not always unsuccessfully. In exchange for such an opportunity, he would demand perfection from them. Dr. Woods was kind, but he had no intention of tarnishing his record by delivering mediocre products- even worse, should a broken weapon from him be the cause of anyone's death. He always demanded the best, for in both science and battle, mistakes can often be damning.

"150 days?! That's..." Green counted silently while everyone looked at him comically.

"5 months, dear. 5 months," Scarlet answered, patting Green on the back, as he donned his signature scowl and crossed his arms.

"But that's all just a possible time span. It probably won't take that long, as I'm sure the team will be working night and day," the doctor further clarified.

"That's good. This is going to be incredible," Red began, "but we have to tell them what we want, right? I mean, what kind of weapons and the measurements for them?"

"Yes, I'll take down the information before we part in the morning. Your guild is heading back to Viridian City tomorrow, yes?"

"Yeah, we're leaving tomorrow afternoon. Do you want us to bring the charizard up here?"

"No, no need. I'm sure the fresh students will want a look at it without it's being disturbed. Well, haha, anymore so than it already is," Dr. Woods laughed, "Most of the prospects I've got here don't have charizards frequent their home areas, as we do in Pallet Town, so it'll be exceptionally interesting for them."

The five of them carried on chatting for an hour more before turning in to bed, knowing that waking would be difficult the next morning, as it was already a few hours into the "next" morning. The two adults stayed behind to talk a bit, while Red, Green, and Leaf shambled up the stairs to the large room where all three of them had so often stayed during their childhood. Their beds were still in place and clean, as Scarlet figured they would want to sleep in their old room. They pulled off their charmander-hide outfits and readied themselves for the shower while, below them, Scarlet and Dr. Woods conversed.

"So- I should tell you, their day wasn't all sunshine and glory," Scarlet began.

"I imagine not, given the clouds and rain we've had all day," the doctor joked.

"I'm serious. Apparently, one of their club members died, fighting those things, and few others were badly hurt," she insisted.

"I know, Scarlet- I am the doctor, after all. They brought their injured to me, and asked if I had any thing that could function as a _casket_. From what I understand, a few of the guild members returned to the beach to collect the slain young man's remains, while everyone was here, putting on a show. I was still overseeing the treatments of the wounded, which is what kept me all evening. A couple were in terrible shape, but my treatments will see them restored quickly enough."

"Oh, so you were in on it, **too**? Hmph. I don't know how I feel about everyone being tricked like this," Red's mother stated.

"It's for the best. No need to take a day that should be happy and make it sad for the sake of acknowledging mistakes. I'm sure they'll give the deceased his proper respects- they just don't want any of us to worry."

"They don't want us to think they can't handle it- they're trying prove that they've got it all under control, but you can't control these monsters! Ugh, I hate this- I really do," she confessed.

"Well, now, give them a chance. So far, you must admit: they've done fairly well. I don't know if defeating pokemon in open combat will ever be easy, but they've certainly impressed me, I'll tell you." Dr. Woods sighed. "It's the same thing in any war, be it foreign, domestic, urban, or what have you. Any time a force rises to spread chaos and misery, another must rise to challenge it. That's what Kanto did in the Sinnoh Conflict a hundred years ago, that's what police do with criminals everyday, and now it's what our kids are doing against pokemon. You can't say there's no need for it," he reasoned to Scarlet, who was sitting with her head in one hand, body turned slightly towards him.

Dr. Woods was older by nearly fifteen years than Scarlet, and his short chestnut hair had more than a few grey hairs scattered within, while his naturally tanned skin had a few deep-set wrinkles- some from laughter and some from stress. He maintained good posture and an air of intelligence throughout his years, but he was clearly more worn and relaxed than the rich and ambitious genius who arrived in Pallet Town decades ago.

Scarlet, on the other hand, steadily maintained an impressive youthful appearance, for being in her mid-thirties and working so many hours, and her long, deep auburn hair was tied into a simple and loosened ponytail. She often seemed tired beneath her energy, but always kept a slight smile on her face, as if she was always thinking of something mildly interesting, though that was just a trick she learned when young to seem more personable. While she often worked outside, she was naturally pale- a trait she gave to her son. Red also received his crimson eyes from her, while his black hair came from his father. Still, Red and Scarlet bore the same narrow jaw, thin nose, and small, but cute, mouth, overall making them look obviously similar. It was a little known, yet somewhat apparent fact that both Scarlet and Red were named after their eye color. However, while "Scarlet" is a common name, it was Carmine, her late husband, who insisted on making it a tradition within the family, and then naming their son "Red", because he wished that that was what his parents had named him instead of "Carmine". Scarlet tried to point out the silliness of naming one's child a basic color, but he insisted upon it, noting that many things were apparently named after colors, and eventually, it grew on her.

As Scarlet wove her fingers through her hair, she sighed and said, "No, I know there's a need for it. I just don't _my_ son to be the one out there. I guess it's natural to dislike whenever your child puts himself in danger, but... I know that it has to be done. And I honestly am proud! I'm more than proud of him. Leaf and Green, too- they're practically my kids, and I take pride in them. That's why I don't want them to get hurt."

"And that's why you have to _trust_ them, my dear," Dr. Woods smiled.

"Of course, Laurel. I trust them **completely**- I'm just a mother! I can't help my condition," Scarlet laughed.

The two of them continued to chat for a time, and at some point, split to get some sleep. During their talk, though, the squad leaders upstairs were readying for bed. They decided to follow their old tradition of "oldest goes first", so Green and Red were lying down in the darkened, large room on their old beds while Leaf was showering, having a small dialogue of their own.

"Man," Green said, "I have... **no** idea what to say."

"Well, what can we say? Oh, 'Sorry, your kid's dead. Here's some chocolates, have a nice day!'"

"...should we bring chocolates?"

"Yeah, maybe. I don't wanna seem tacky, though. Can't be too expensive," Red replied.

"Damn sure can't be cheap. And what about compensation?"

"Well, he was only in for, what? Three months? So, the contracts say, "_In the event of your death, your chosen benefactor will be bequeathed fitting compensation, in regards to tenure and cause of death, and-_" blah, blah, some other stuff."

"Alright, so three months- we'll just give them this month and next month's wages, plus a little bonus, and we'll help with the funeral, of course."

"Eh, that sounds fair," Red concurred tiredly. "Harley's parents are pretty wealthy, right? I think I've met them before."

"Yeah, they came by HQ one time, and they brought like 20 people, trying to... to show-off their kid, and they asked for tours, and gave us a big donation, and..."

"..." Red was silent.

"This is gonna be hard," Green sighed.

Outside, the rain continued, seemingly blurring the space between reality and the nostalgic comfort of his bed, and for a moment, it all seemed so far away to Red, like it hadn't really happened. Like he was still just a kid living with his mother, and the day was really just a bad dream from which he'd recently awoken. Green bore the tragedy with strength, but that was easier to do when one was not a witness to it. He lied, eyes open, thinking in his bed, while Leaf finally stopped the water of her shower and began to dry off.

Leaf remained in the bathroom even after she'd stepped out of the shower, casually wrapping her long, cleaned brown hair as she calmed her thoughts. Being in the tunnels earlier was just a hot, albeit dangerous, inconvenience, at the time, but it wasn't until minutes ago that she realized how similar it was to her burning manor, back in Vermillion City. It rained that day, too, but not in time to stop the fires from consuming everything except her. It was too long ago for her to cry over it, but she couldn't help but take a moment and remember everything she could about her first home.

The halls, large and filled with art, echoed marvelously; the rooms, lavish and tastefully-decorated, were comfortable yet magnificent; her parents, graceful and prestigious, were educated and well-liked. Images of various people and things, all beyond her grasp, seeped just into view. But they were too far away, and she couldn't see them clearly, nor claim their memories. She could never remember much, but she was always impressed by what she did recall, and a smile dawned on her small pink lips, while her gentle blue eyes closed as she wondered how different her life would be if she had been spared that one merciless tragedy. After a moment of dreams and resolutions, she resigned herself to go to bed, thankful that she still had at least two of the people she loved at the end of the day.


	5. Chapter 4 - All the Way Home

_Chapter 4 – "All the Way Home"_

* * *

Parting white clouds lined the sky above Viridian City, the deeply urban, yet distinctively cosmopolitan home of the guild, PECA, and dozens of other associations, businesses, and organizations of varying origins and goals. The sun was shining in the early afternoon as the hustle-and-bustle of the city ranted on; merchants were calling out to passersby, exuberantly hawking their wares, and citizens were scattered into every pocket between buildings and corner of entertainment. Whether it was buying things, hanging out, or performing exhibitions, there was always something to do in the colorful city.

Viridian City was large, but not as spacious as Cerulean or Saffron City, and so the population density was higher, with businessmen and adventurers from all over Kanto and Johto gathered to bask in the rich culture somewhat unique to the area. In addition to the people, there were trees and plants everywhere, fully integrated into the city landscape. Not even one hour away from the northern gate sat the vast and intimidating Viridian Forest, and the ocean was so close to the west end that there were thriving seafood and seafaring trades, despite Viridian not actually being a "port city".

The closeness to the Johto border also made Viridian City an important diplomatic location for the Kanto Regional Government, as relations between Kanto's republic and Johto's monarchy had only recently become favorable. It was 75 years ago that the countries were engaged in military conflict- nearly beginning an all-out war, over land and resources during a ten-year economic and political crisis in Kanto, which may or may not have been seeded by Johto. Even decades before that, there have been varying levels of friction and tension between the two regions, purportedly beginning with the "Collapse of the Federation" 400 years ago, wherein Johto was established as a unitary state ruled by a warmonger-turned-king, and Kanto was established by those few politically relevant individuals who opposed him, ruling as an oligarchy, where only a trusted few held power, and evolving into a republic over the years. Eventually, the two forces settled, but there is still some controversy over the wars and the legitimacy of either government, and Premier Arborough and King Joseph V, the current leaders of Kanto and Johto, respectively, have both seemingly made it their mission to seek a "comfortable peace" between the two nations.

It was historical and cultural information such as this that fascinated the young, would-be revolutionary who sat around the small wooden table, casually attending one of the city's weekly small celebrations. Four others sat with her, each of them dressed in similar attire. Their clothes were dark and professional- black pants with different but similar shirts, each of them nearly black, bearing only a tinge of their actual color, with the same small emblem on their left sleeves. Combat boots and gloves gave them a distinguished "paramilitary" look, while their young age and stylish hair eased any worried minds, a bit, but they still looked like trouble. The leader wore a pair of sunglasses to hide her dark amber eyes as they flit from page-to-page of the historical fiction book she was reading, based on a suspected operation conducted by Johto spies to initiate the dissolution of the Kanto Regional Government 75 years ago. Back-length blonde hair shimmered like sunlight on the water over her shoulders and upon the pages of the book, motivating her to adjust her position to better counter the breeze.

As the leader of the mysterious team was shifting, she caught sight of two familiar faces in black suits, walking along the lively street. One with black hair was holding what must have been an expensive box of chocolates and a black envelope, while the other was holding a large bouquet of flowers, white and red, mostly. Her honey eyes recognized them as the leader of the Pokehunters and his second-in-command. She couldn't help but let slip a grimace, remembering her doofus older brother went off to join their club a few months ago. She wondered blankly what the flowers and get-up were for as she watched them walk down the street. Abruptly though, a nudge caught her attention and she turned to see her teammate, "Thunder", giving her the heads-up: their mark had just left the party, and it was time to move.

_Finally_, she thought, placing her book inside her bag, as she and her gang rose in silence. _Let's get started_.

Black blazers and slacks vacuumed the heat from the air, and a mild day became relatively burdensome for Green and Red, who were preparing themselves for one of the hardest things they could ever have to do. No amount of chocolates, condolence cards, or pretty flowers could soften the impact of discovering, suddenly and without cause to ever previously believe, that one's child had died. The closer Green and Red got to Harley's house, the more they felt a hand in their chests, pushing them back. They walked in utter silence, both of them knowing full well what was going to happen.

They'd tried to rehearse it, but found themselves looking a bit silly. Eventually, they decided to be completely honest and not plan anything but the purchase of the gifts. Green felt that anything prepared would seem dishonest, despite the legitimate remorse that he felt; he tried not to show it, but it was obvious. Red seemed unusually warm and empathetic that day. Green figured he would have practiced showing his emotions, instead of simply being himself, and thus appearing rather insensitive. The young guild master had forgotten that Red had actually seen Harley die, as the two had been carrying-on so well since the mission concluded two days prior. But now, with Red looking very much forlorn and hesitant, he remembered. Green thought again about what he could possibly say to Harley's parents, ideas washing in and out of his mind like aspiring, powerless waves upon the shore.

_We regret to inform you... er, i__t pains us to say... well, w__e're sorry to have to tell you this, but..._

_He's dead?_

_Ah- we appreciated his service... h__is dedication was inspiring... h__e sparked cheer and laughter from everyone he knew... b__ut he was the joke. _

_And now he's dead- ha ha._

_Sorry. Yes, he's dead, and he died because...?_

_He wasn't fast enough. Lucky enough._

_But he was careless enough?_

_Well, you see, the costs of war... there are always sacrifices, you know... that is to say, probability of an incident was high... and charizards are incredibly powerful..._

_But he's the only one who..._

_Of course. We celebrated when it was done__. Personally, I enjoyed myself.  
_

_No, rather, what I mean to say is:_

_'We lost a friend that day, and cried in the rain for hours.'_

_Uh, we can only hope he's in a better place, now, away from the monsters and shadows..._

_...I'm not really sure what to say. Sorry._

Green heard all this going through his mind- heard himself say every word with confused empathy and shallow compassion, as if he could never fully appreciate the magnitude of the loss he'd suffered. He felt like an ass. And there he found himself, again- trapped between frost and flame, as he wondered whether or not the casualty was his fault, and just how bad he should feel about it. Harley shouldn't have been out there to begin with, and that was Green's call. He supposed it was Harley's dedication and energy that coaxed Green to let the rookie go, despite Red's initial hesitance. He'd thought incompetence would magically turn into skill on the battlefield- like in the movies- but it didn't. Harley had received basic training, and the first step was always to follow the squad leader, but he didn't do that. So is that why he died? Is that what Green should say? How could he?

Before he knew it, Green was there- through the open brass gates and up the carefully carved stone path. Red had stopped walking and took a deep breath, looking at Green, and that's when he realized how huge Harley's house was. Green caught his breath nervously and gave Red a nod to ring the doorbell. All too quickly, a servant answered the door, looking attentively at the two harbingers. They asked to speak with the masters of the house.

"Yes, hello! Lovely to see you boys again," cheered Mrs. Roquett, the lady-of-the-house and Harley's mother. He'd looked a lot like her, bearing similar short, yet well-managed blonde hair, big brown eyes, and a propensity for fashion. She walked quickly from whatever task she'd been retrieved and went to shake the boys' hands eagerly, until she noticed they were full.

"Um, hi, Mrs. Roquett. We'd like to speak with you, please," Green said rather delicately. He could see the slowed realization in her eyes as her mouth fell somewhat agape- the anticipation of news she could never accept.

They walked briefly to a sitting room within the large house. It was full of exotic art and the walls and floor were white marble, or a well-finished imitation. Gold frames and banners hung throughout the halls, and it was clear that the Roquett's enjoyed a certain well-to-do lifestyle. White couches, glass tables, gold-decorated furniture: they were rich, and they wanted everyone to know it. There was even a large black banner with a yellow "R" hanging in the very center of the room, just above an older family photograph of Harley, Mr. and Mrs. Roquett, and another, younger girl that Green hadn't seen before. She looked a bit different from Harley, in looks and mood, but the other three all seemed quite content and similar. They stepped quietly through the hall to the room, and sat down, Mrs. Roquett taking a chair at one of the tables while Red and Green places their gifts in front of her before taking a seat on the couch nearest the youthful mother. She bore a false smile, perhaps only for her own comfort, clearly hoping the quiet and somber boys weren't about to tear her world apart.

"Ahem. Mrs. Roquett... uh, well, ahem, two days ago, we- the guild, PECA- were sent out to Pallet Town to subdue a murderous charizard endangering the area, in addition to minimizing the risk created by any other pokemon. There were countless chamanders and charmeleons, and two charizards, and any one of these creatures could critically injure, maim, or kill a person with the slightest effort. It was a difficult mission, because we were forced to split up, to cover more ground as we searched for the killer. Um, we really didn't think too much that... ah, what I mean to say, is that, ah-" Green fumbled, subconsciously wishing he had, in fact, prepared a message. Harley's mother wasn't looking at them; she stared at the flower bouquet, and a little card stuck inside that read 'Sorry for your loss!' in a hue far too vibrant.

"Mrs. Roquett," Green said, recovering and resolving himself to just say the words, "I, my friend, and everyone at the guild, uh, wish to express, to you, our deepest sympathies and apologies as we, ahem, inform you of the loss- the **regrettable** loss- of your only son, Harley Roquett, our friend, and our... ahem..." He shook his head, feeling stupid, as his words were cut off by a small gasp from the middle-aged beauty sitting across from him. She still wasn't looking at him, but she wasn't crying yet, though her breathing quickened.

"How, how, do you know? How can you be sure? What happened? What happened?" She began to stutter, her thoughts clearly shaking and she repeated her last question in a shaky hesitation.

Green looked at Red, who looked back at him defensively for a split-second, and then at Mrs. Roquett. Golden sunbeams flew in from the high windows in the room, illuminating every second which cried for clouds and thunder. Red, somewhat accustomed to explaining himself by now, began sensitively:

"Well, ma'am, Harley was in my squad, and when we encountered the charizard, we were somewhat disoriented. Harley... there was a- _a miscommunication_, and he ended up being wounded and, ahem, subsequently..." Red stopped for a moment, wishing Leaf was here to smack them both for being so bad at this. He sighed. "Mrs. Roquett, it was quick and completely accidental. We are sorry for your loss," Red concluded efficiently. The blonde woman was weeping now, still looking at the awkwardly waiting men; the look of despair and hurt in her open eyes mirrored that of Harley's, Red thought, just before he died. How cruel that he should be forced again to watch someone suffer and be helpless to stop it- be responsible for it, even. He thought about his own mother and her tears when his father died, as he glanced to the window, where the sun was still merrily pouring through, as if nothing was wrong in the world.

"So..." Mrs. Roquett said through her tears, "You saw him... you- you watched him? Well, why didn't you save him? What-why-why?!" Red started to explain, carefully, that there was nothing he could do but the woman was already walking towards him, moving with a sense of outrage. Red scooted away as she put herself in front of him, tears still dripping from her eyes and her breath unsteady- still, there was a certain look in her eye, almost menacing, Red thought.

"**Why**?" She demanded coldly.

"Kris," a male's voice eased from behind them, "Kris, stop." Mrs. Roquett looked up without moving her head to find her husband- Mr. Roquett, of course- moving from the staircase to the sitting area. He was tall, fair-skinned, and very refined. His hair was slicked back and he had a thin goatee. His eyes were a dark and mysterious gold, but the sadness currently stamped upon them revealed that he must've heard the news. Red realized that at no point did he truly examine the room; he stayed focused on either his thoughts or Mrs. Roquett, and therefore had no knowledge that Mr. Roquett was even around.

With experienced delicacy and tenderness, Mr. Roquett took his wife with open arms and pulled her close, his arms wrapping firmly around her. His white shirt complemented her white dress, and the two looked very similar. Mr. Roquett's blonde hair was slightly paler than his wife's, apparent even while slicked back. He was about four inches taller than her and had a pair of silver earrings on, along with a couple of rings on his fingers and two simple, yet clearly expensive, necklaces. The two meshed well, both being elegantly dressed and similar in features, and they continued holding one other for what felt like an hour to Green, who decided spontaneously that it was time to hit the 'dusty trail'.

"Well. We'd better give you some space; we'll be in touch shortly to, ah, conclude any arrangements," Green said, much too quickly, as he stood to leave.

"Yes, I think that would be best. We'll contact you, gentlemen, when we are prepared to 'conclude our arrangements'," Mr. Roquett said coolly, disdain seeping from his tone, as Mrs. Roquett continued to sob into his shirt. Green simply gave him a naive smile and a nod.

As the boys left the mansion, they were greeted with cold and annoyed glares from several staff members, who impatiently watched them leave in a manner which directed them to the door without anyone actually speaking to or escorting them at all. Red thought, at first, that the staff he'd seen in various poses around the house were just maids, but he realized the most were far too... burly, or dubious-looking. One man who was standing with a group gave Red a challenging stare all the way to the door, which Red did not break, but did find incredibly strange.

Green and Red were mere yards out of the door, and walking down the private road which lead to the mansion, when Red decided to ease Green's mind.

"You know, I think you might actually be an idiot."

"Don't start with me, man," Green replied, still looking forward with a blank expression.

"No, no, I mean it. Do you- do you think she didn't know that Harley was her 'only son'? And what's this about murderous pokemon? I thought you were supposed to be a good actor?!"

"Says the 'miscommunication-man'? Listen, I was trying _not_ to perform; I wanted to be honest! Now, I'm good with pokemon, ok? That what she'll think about me, and that's the truth, dammit. But you- you just seem like an incompetent **dumbass** who let her kid die! Which may also be true..." the older boy taunted.

"Well, why don't you tell me how you really feel? That kid didn't die because **I** let him; in fact, if I recall correctly, I told you not to let him come in the first place!" Red goaded, poking at Green's earlier thoughts.

"Oh! So you're saying it was **my** fault?" Green stopped walking and turned to Red aggressively. "This was on me, huh? He got crushed because I tossed him right under that thing, right? It was my fault? That's what you're saying- it was my fault?! Is that what you're saying? It sounds like that's what you're saying; is that what you're saying?!" People walking by looked curiously at Green, interested in the rapid escalation.

"Aw, shut up! It wasn't your fault! It wasn't my fault, it wasn't his fault, and it wasn't the freakin' charizard's fault, either! There's no one to blame for this, because it was an freaking accident!"

"Yeah, well, you tell her that," Green said, pointing towards Roquett Manor. "Let her know that it was an accident!"

"I did! I did tell her that! Weren't you paying attention?!"

"Yeah, I was, and you know what I heard? I heard her _accuse_ you of being an _accessory_ to murder, and through you, she condemned the entire guild!"

"Will you stop calling it murder? It was a damn animal, and I had no way to physically prevent it from falling out of the air and coincidentally landing on somebody."

"Ah- but you did. You told me that's exactly what you did, when it came for you," Green softly chided, clearly playing devil's advocate. It was good enough to catch Red off-guard.

"...that was different. I was prepared, I didn't panic, and I had the support of the team. Harley just- well, he fucked himself; I couldn't save him." Red looked down pensively, suddenly wondering why, exactly, Harley "couldn't be saved".

"Mhmm. Look, let's just go, man. Shit was hard enough to take already, without you trying to ride my ass," Green finished.

"Whatever you say," Red replied, shaking his head with a tired sigh.

Done fighting for the moment, the two boys resumed returning to the guild. Patrons of the city's vibrant atmosphere walked in every direction with and against Red, who seemed to be the only one, aside from Green, who didn't have a cheery smile across his face. In the square he was passing, then, Red saw a small band playing some joyful anthem. People were gathered around, holding hands and singing along. In the light of the summer afternoon, it seemed like good time- typical of the colorful residents of the forest city. Red looked on casually for a moment before Green gave him an insinuating elbow, while motioning to the crowd with a cynical look. Red had no idea what he was trying to convey, as random and miscellaneous gatherings really were quite common, and Green tended to enjoy them more than Red did, anyway. He looked around quickly for a few seconds, scanning faces and signs- then he realized. Even the song was more than he first thought.

Some of the attendees of the get-together were holding signs advocating pokemon rights, liberation, and peace between the races. Some people were dressed as pokemon, even, and still others wore shirts declaring their beliefs. And the song Red had initially dismissed- it was about making pokemon "friends and not targets". Looking closer, Red even saw a few people holding their pet pokemon. Ridiculous; he couldn't help but scoff.

It was known, of course, that not every pokemon was dangerous. A few were even quite amiable and didn't really pose a significant threat to anyone, even people who insisted on adopting them. The fact that there were a few who were good, however, did not excuse the rest from the guillotine. That's why there was a class system instituted to study and categorize pokemon: alpha, bravo, charlie, and delta. Put simply, alpha pokemon posed a minimal threat while bravo pokemon required some caution and delicacy, but were mostly tame. Charlie was the largest class- it included wild pokemon who were territorial but did not actively seek to harm most other beings. Then, there was delta class- the pokemon who, under no circumstance, were to be engaged or approached, except by professionals, and represented an extreme and imminent threat.

The 'pokelovers' gathered in the crowd were swaying to their song peacefully, with a few alpha pokemon in attendance. Eevee seemed to be the most popular, and many wealthy families possessed one, as they required little training and did not evolve into a dangerous persona with time, like some others. Magikarp were a common fish pokemon, kept as pets by some, enjoyed as delicacies by others. Despite their gradual assimilation into society, however, Red, the guild, and even Dr. Woods, was capable of seeing the danger any pokemon might possess, and kept wary, even in the city. This was not the first time he'd seen one of these pokemon peace rallies- a small group actually protested for weeks outside of PECA's building from the day they opened, newspapers and reporters having alerted the entire city to a new threat to pokemon. The city police cleared them out after business began flowing regularly to the guild, but the display solidified a sort or enmity between the two groups.

Once they were clear of the square and the pokelovers, Green frustratedly voiced his opinion:

"Man, these freakin' protesters! They're everywhere!"

"Don't worry about them- they can protest until the end of time, but when a pack of scyther or a flock of spearow show up, that's when they'll want to call us," Red reasoned snidely.

"Yeah, it always takes a tragedy before these idiots realize, just like with, ah- whatshisname- the guy who did the thing with the, uh-"

"You talking about Jacob Burnbat? In Saffron?"

"Yeah, yeah, that's the guy! He killed all those people the day they let him go, when he should have been in jail, but he got acquitted. And why? Because dumbass civilians don't understand how to put the hammer down!" Green insisted, passing people giving him indignant looks in the crowded streets, "Now there's a killer on the loose, getting his jollies by kidnapping anyone who comes after him. Should've never let him go in the first place."

"That's how it is, man. The mayor of Saffron said he wouldn't go soft on criminals, but that doesn't mean the rest of the city thinks that way. They let him walk, and look what happened. The same thing would happen here if we don't cut down these damned things before they get to us!" The topic always flared Red's temper, and he spoke more aggressively then he would normally.

Green and Red carried on all the back to the guild- another 15 minute's walk, never noticing the two men who were trailing behind them, and had been since they left Roquett Manor. When the boys arrived at the guild and disappeared inside, the two shadows stopped for a moment.

"Should we make a fuss?" One asked another.

"Nah, don't worry about them. I thought they might say something a bit more interesting, but they're just dumb kids. Looks like Harley might'a actually got himself off'ed, no conspiracy or nothin'," the slightly older gangster replied.

"Think the boss'll come after 'em anyways?"

"Depends."

"On what?"

He sighed. "On what this other dumb kid does," he said as he turned. "C'mon, let's go pick her up; I already know this is gonna be a hassle."

The sun shone brightly throughout the day and into the late afternoon. It was three hours later when the gangsters finally found Yellow and her gang, but only, apparently, because they expected to be found. In a dark alleyway notorious for "misfortune", the two professional gangsters confronted the younger, larger group of five criminals. Yellow stood at the front of the team, seeming quite annoyed, and unflinchingly at the older men striding to her, both of them very angry. Yellow put up a hand to keep her gang back as she let the goons get in close. They were two feet from each other when they stopped.

"Where the hell you been?! You're supposed to have your damn comm's **on** and **available** at all times!"

"I'm flattered that you were worried about me, but I really don't appreciate your tone. Now, where I've been is none of your business, and my Comm-Link is working fine. Any other concerns?" The teenage boss answered smartly.

"Shut up. The boss wants you home- pronto, and that was already hours ago! I'll be glad when you get your dues for this rebel shit, now let's go! And the rest yous kids can stay put! This is Roquett-family business."

"Hold on, hold on- I'm sorry- ah, you're going to have to _explain_ something to me..." The girl said stalwartly, bringing her hands together in a authoritative fashion, while her hair floated softly with breeze sweeping through the alley.

"Ugh, here the fuck we go, again with this shit! Why don't you stop ta- augh!-" the gangster's words were cut short by a boot heel to his neck. The 17-year old delinquent called "Cloud" had a crippling roundhouse, and demonstrated it at the go-ahead from Yellow. The other gangster moved to hit Yellow, but was halted by the massive youth, "Thunder". Picking him up and slamming the man to the ground seemed to be nothing for the mighty kid, and the fallen thug was just recovering when Thunder threw the goons back together. He looked to Yellow, who silently told him that that was enough for the time being.

"Temper, temper, boys; you watch your language when you're speaking to me." The gang leader handed the only other girl in the group her bag, and calmly stepped in close to the thugs, who were scrambling off of each other. She looked the older goon in the eye as she stooped to his level, removing her sunglasses and chilling his thoughts with amber eyes that so resembled her father's.

"Now, gentlemen. I remember that, the last time that I was home, I... well, I'm sure you already know the story. Father told me to leave and never return, under any circumstance. Now all of a sudden, he's telling me to come back? Why?" She waited a moment, then put her sunglasses in her pocket and swiftly kicked the sitting thugs in their faces, while her gang moved to pin them both. "I'll bet that bitch, Kristen, finally asked for my _head_ on a plate, right?! I know she wants me dead- she's already tried **twice**!" She kicked them again, this time hard in the ribs, while her gang held them down. They blustered and began shouting vulgarities, but it meant little to the young boss. She gave the signal for her team to work them over, while she pulled out a cigarette. Yellow only smoked half before she told them to stop- didn't want to hurt the runners too bad, since her crew always went for the weak spots.

"Now, are you ready to cooperate?" She asked callously with a sideways glance. "Tell me what she's got planned."

"Look. L- just **look**, kid," pressed the younger gangster as he tried to catch his breath while still looking macho. He turned to spit out a small amount of blood and resumed, with a hard look in his eye, "Your brother, Harley, is _dead_. The boss- not Kris, the boss!- wants you back ASAP to discuss _familial affairs_, an' he told me and Troy to come pick you up. That's alls I **know**, you frickin' brat. So go home and report, before we're all on the chopping block." He coughed loudly, and tried to get to his feet. The man on the ground besides him looked dazed and sleepy, and may have been losing consciousness. Pathetic.

Yellow examined them both, as she finished her cigarette. When she was done, she put it out on the back of the thug slowly getting to his feet and flicked it at the one who was still sitting. Then she left without a word more for them.

"Light, you thinkin' it's a trap?" Her follower, Sky, asked. That was Yellow's codename- "Light".

"I'm not sure. Do I think those idiots were telling the truth? ...Yes. But does that mean I'm going to walk out of this thing ok? That's the real question. It doesn't have to be a trap for someone to get hurt, with _this_ family." She stopped as she turned the corner to see Roquett Manor standing brilliantly in the afternoon sun, rays highlighting all the glass and gold which decorated the mansion. The gates were large and shut, with a few men keeping watch outside. She resisted the urge to light another cigarette as she scowled at the representation of so much pain.

"Well, you want us to go in with you?" The younger female hooligan of the group asked, offering Yellow her bag back, which she did not accept.

"Nah, Rain, all of you stay out here and stay hidden. Keep your comms on and listen. If I buzz you... don't come running- get out and disappear. The code word's, "applause"."

"You don't mind us listenin' to your personal shit like that?" Sky questioned again. Yellow shook her head.

"You alley-dogs already know everything about me, anyway," Yellow said soberly as she began walking away; this time, the team didn't follow. "Remember- "applause"!" Her crew simply nodded as they watched her walk away, truly nervous that it might be for the last time. She'd survived the surprisingly complex attempts on her life before, but this time, she would have no where to run and no way to fight. Game over.

Swallowing her hesitation, Yellow stepped up to gates, greeted by smirks and scoffs from her father's men. She matched their derision, her young face uncommonly hardened. One of the guards got uncomfortably close.

"Well, well, if isn't the black sheep. Welcome home," he said with a chuckle.

"Your breath stinks. Get out my way," Yellow demanded.

"Ah, ah, ah!" The gangster said, purposely exhaling with greater intensity in Yellow's face. "Where's Leon and Troy, and your little groupies? Huh? How'd you know to come, without them?"

In her mind, Yellow commended the guard's situational awareness. She bluffed, "Those two buffoons got caught-up chasing after my crew, while I slipped out. Don't worry, I'm sure Leroy and Trey will be alright."

"Fucking kids, these days, huh?" The guard smiled wryly to the thug standing to his right. "No respect."

Another guard asked, "And why, exactly, would you give your own crew the slip? Makes no sense- sounds a bit fishy."

"Well, then, think harder," she said with a pointed expression to the thug, who looked sufficiently confused. She focused back on the guard directly in front of her and crossed her arms, with both defiance and grim acceptance in her eyes. "If you're going to kill me, fine, but they got nothing to do with this, so I left them out of it."

The guards looked at her incredulously for a moment, briefly lifting her hopes, and then laughed cruelly together, sinking them again.

"Kill you? Bwahahaha!" The guard with the bad breath howled; he leaned in close again, his laughter coming to a dead halt. "Not today, sweetheart. But don't let your guard down." He was smiling, but Yellow knew he was being serious. Still, though, the tension in her muscles eased. Another guard opened the gate and they all made way for her to walk the long, well-maintained road to her golden detention camp.

"The boss has been waiting patiently, but, you know, if I was you, I wouldn't waste another second."

* * *

**_Author's Note:_** Well, it's been a damn-long time, hasn't it? Unfortunately, my work schedule has been changing drastically in the past two months, and continues to do so. But all is not lost! To anyone who reads this story, you've got my appreciation and dedication; there's no way I'll leave this tale untold. So, what's about to happen is that we're going to be setting-up a couple sub-plots and exploring secondary characters a lot more, and hopefully, you realize that many characters have different manners of speech and personalities. For instance, I decided to go with the classic New York gangster-impression for my rendition of Team Rocket (Roquett), and so you'll be seeing a lot of colloquial writing and incorrect grammar/spelling; it's all intentional, I assure you- even the stuttering and filler in conversation (e.g., "ah", "um", "-ok?-", etc...)! Also- Yellow, in a way that I didn't actually think of until a few days ago! See, I didn't know that Yellow was a popular character in the Poke-verse, until I browsed enough art to become aware of "Pokemon Special", in which she is a main character. Originally, I went off of the game's protagonists, and so, thought to introduce Yellow as a secondary character much farther along in the story, and with a much different role. However, I'm far more intrigued by this dark soul I've created. Hopefully, you'll enjoy what I do with all this as much as I do! Thank you, everyone haha


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